Million Dollar Baby (2004) Review
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| Cinematography by Tom Stern |
I'm a fan of Boxing for a long time but i also been big Film Enthusiast so its inevitable for me to find a boxing movies other than Rocky saga. One favorite boxing movie of all time was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull, its one those very unique biopic movie, and then after almost every boxing films rely on a real story. The most recent boxing movie i have seen was The Fighter and its also a great film, but the more i see movies that are based on this sport the more realize their getting a bit of the same kind of treatment (exclude Raging Bull), It supposed be a drama movie at the same time a push forwarding inspirational message. What i found about Million Dollar Baby its the most simple boxing film i have seen and from that simplicity i found it very compellingly different to others. It does have Drama, it does have an Inspirational Message but its not trying to push more of it, and it does have generic set of character.
The Movie Follows a story of a woman named Maggie "Mo Cushle" Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) who wants to be a boxer and eventually become a world champion, She seeks to be trained by a Veteran Train Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) because she believes he will trained her to get through a championship match, while also being advised by the gym keeper Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman) which also a former boxer who was also trained on the hands of Frankie Dunn. Maggie's closeness to Dunn creates a great bond that becomes a father and daughter type of relationship while both are having a similar opposite problem; Dunn being a away to her daughter while Maggie are being away from her father.
Million Dollar Baby drama technique relies to the characters that metaphorically giving a homage to the title. The title of the movie tells the story and the character already. Maggie Fitzgerald played by Hilary Swank is one of the most charming woman I've seen in movies. She has very soft side with an optimism yet she is very Strong and Determined Physically and Emotionally, as boxer unlike other movies she doesn't show vulnerability, she is not complex if don't mind her attitude which is like a Baby Girl type of a woman attitude and that's adorable, most movies suffers a problem when the same kind of thing having a Straight Forward good guys who doesn't shown a reasonable weakness.
Protagonist's vulnerability is the most important thing in writing a movie, so that we can relate to the character. The last i saw a invulnerable main character in the most is Bruce Willie's John McClane in a 1988 Die Hard Film. Though Maggie doesn't seem to lose in battle in sport boxing she's not like John McClane. The thing is her character was divided into two: The most Vulnerable and most In Vulnerable, which also the divided the premise of the movie.
Its One best Boxing movies i have seen, with its underneath Wittiness, Dramatic Simplicity, and Emotional Heavy attractiveness that made this movie so unique than others. The Low use of music is the best way to made the audience to connect to the character, the focuses in characters movements to really show and build the character arc. It was a unique roller coaster ride in a boxing movies. When its Up its really up but when its Down it there on the ground.
Overall Million Dollar Baby is not only different because it has female protagonist playing boxer but it also executed in a way we cared even if the premise are simple and the character are so generic, its story telling and character type made it really good, helped with Great Performances specially to Hilary Swank.
I Give Million Dollar Baby a Solid 9/10.
If you love the sport of boxing or not this is a very recommended movie to see.
Million Dollar Baby was directed by Clint Eastwood Starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman etc... Released December 15, 2004
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