Million Dollar Baby

Virtually every movie with a sports backgroud claims to be "not really about (fill in name of sport), but perhaps once in a hundred times that will actually be true, and here's one of those hundred. Clint Eastwood's latest is NOT just a boxing movie, and those who aren't fond of the sport (such as, oh, myself) will still have plenty to be amazed by.

The story of a "trailer trash" waitress (playede by Hillary Swank) who persuades washed-up trainer Eastwood to train her to a championship match starts out seeming a touch forumulaic, and for a while I found myself thinking the film had been a bit over-rated. But it gains emotional power as it goes on, and by the time it reaches the final half hour, you'll feel the EMOTIONAL equivalent of a punch by a heavyweight champ. Eastwood is to be admired for not being afraid of the dark side... the man who gave us "Unforgiven" and "Mystic River" has not taken the easy way out here and made a stand-up-and-cheer sports rouser like "Rocky", no matter what some ads might make it seem like. This film leaves has much more power than something simple like that. It might even be more than fans of those kinds of rousers can handle. But people who avoid it for that reason will be missing out on one of the strongest commercial big-studio releases in a very long time. They'll also be missing out on evidence that Eastwood is as under-rated an actor as he has been praised as a director (not that he doesn't deserve that praise). He manages to showcase a surprising range of strong emotions with his very subtle approach.
ANd that's just what his excellent film does as well. If you think you don't like Clint Eastwood movies, or boxing movies, or big studio commerical movies... go see "Million Dollar Baby". You'll be surprised several times over.