Mr. Eastwood treats the conventions of the boxing-movie genre, its measured alternations of adversity and redemption, like the chord changes to a familiar song - the kind of standard that can, in the hands of a deft and sensitive musician, be made to yield fresh meanings and unexpected reservoirs of deep and difficult emotion.
-- AO Scott
The writer of the screenplay of Million Dollar Baby, the title calling to mind a Katherine Hepburn flick (she's down the hall in the multiplex) wrote the atmospheric television show Due South. The score was created by Clint Eastwood with his son credited with most of the instrumental songs on the soundtrack, though Clint himself (who directed and starred) is listed as the writer of one as well. It is based on a collection of short stories entitled Rope Burns and might not be quite what you expect.
Some of the film, which is rightly a critic fave (if perhaps a bit overrated*), is a bit too predictable. Morgan Freeman's narration and the boxing background of the story has some standard flavor, if flavor enough. I did not find the arc of the boxing story very impressive, especially the boxer's quick rise, but also fairly standard stuff as a long ago match that went wrong and losing connection with a daughter. So, I share the thoughts of one of the dissenting critics, who felt this part of the film wasn't so great.
Luckily, to take Roger Ebert's view, the story isn't about boxing, but about characters who are involved in boxing. Boxing is but background, which might be why it was not fully developed. Small touches did, however, show the craft behind the film even here. Look at Clint's manager character parroting the moves of boxers he watches. And, Freeman and Eastwood's relationship in the film might look effortless, as if these are old pros on cruise control, but they put a lot of years in to be able to do that. Anyway, the humor involved in their interplay (and others around them) made me laugh out loud more than once.
Clint has made a cottage industry of playing aging characters dealing with old demons, and this is one of his best. The scenes of him at church is a mix of him pestering the priest, but also somehow trying to do penance for an old wrong. His typical restraint only makes the emotions going through him that must striking, including when he finds a new fighter to believe in, a girlie to boot. And, though the boxing scenes as noted were a bit tired, as a director he still has what it takes. A case can be made for two nominations here: actor and director.
And, surely another for best actress: Hilary Swank plays an escapee of white trash (one of the false notes is how over the top her family is played) whose dream is to be a fighter, and she thinks she found herself a trainer. Maggie might be getting a bit too old to just start out, but she has heart and guts, and Clint and Morgan can see it. This as much as her talent is probably what leads to Clint (Frankie) taking her on, and her need for a father figure and his need for someone to fill in for his long gone daughter surely factored in as well.
The movie takes an unexpected (for me at least) turn, and my test in such situations is to determine if the movie has enough meat to carry its weight. It does and is well worth watching for some fine dramatic movie making all around. I'd add that it is not perfect, some quibbles can be made about various aspects, but overall Frankie's interest in poetry and Gaelic (!) alone might make it worthwhile. I end with a poem he quotes late in the film:
The Lake Isle of Innisfree (Yeats)
I WILL arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
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* A quick bit first: who knows that Christmas With The Kranks, the previews of which just screamed "bad," is actually based on a differently titled John Grisham (yeah, the law guy) novel?! Happily for Grisham, not too many.
Anyway, looking at the "other reviews" page linked to Ebert's review, I see some dissenters are a bit annoyed at all the praise. I can relate, since Mystic River didn't do it for me, and that won Oscars. This film is smaller, if of similar length, and might be ill treated by its praise: it's a fine film, but a bit too imperfect for a masterpiece. Or, maybe that's part of what a masterpiece truly entails. Either way, the movie is fine enough, even for $10.50.