Million Dollar Baby Movie Review

It is perhaps unfair to label Million Dollar Baby as a "Female version of Rocky". But for a majority of the film's first half, the focus upon the trainer and fighter brings notable similarities to Stallone's once developing relationship with Burgess Meredith. Being the avid Rocky fan that I am, I can only commend this film for igniting such nostalgia. That said, the film offers so much more than a female reboot of this boxing classic: Million Dollar baby is emotionally challenging, thought provocative; on the whole, ultimately engaging.

Based on the collection of short stories titled Rope Burns, by fight manager and "cutman" Jerry Boyd (pen name F.X.Toole), the film tracks the life of trailer park waitress Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), who aspires to be a fighter. She goes in pursuit of veteran Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train and manage her. Reluctant at first, Frankie is given slight encouragement by his gym manager Eddie (Morgan Freeman) to begin noticing Maggie's day and night commitment to the gym that he eventually decides to take her on.

Frankie is a complex character. He has his own issues with his family and people in general. He writes to his daughter every week with no reply; he feels inner guilt for Eddie, after he allowed him to continue fighting in a brutal match, which left him blind in one eye; and he goes to Church regularly, primarily to provoke an argument with the local priest.

Maggie, also estranged from her family, soon establishes a strong bond with Frankie as she progresses up the ranks. It's a touching for the viewer to watch such a relationship develop, and the optimism that comes with the adoring fans chanting Maggie's name each time she fights. The stage is set for a classic rags-to-riches tale, but Eastwood handles the story with such care that Million Dollar Baby never feels so far above our level that it becomes completely unrealistic.

Narrated by Morgan Freeman's character, there is a strong sense of raw talent and human emotion being the driving force of the entire film. Million Dollar Baby's boxing choreography and stage presence of its characters is brilliant, but it is the narration by Freeman that paints an even more touching portrait of triumph and tragedy.

There is strong sense of human injustice in the way that the story contrasts the hard graft of Maggie with her family's laziness. When she buys them her house, they immediately appear ungrateful, as it will disrupt their ploy to fob the government of its welfare cheques. It is such an instance that we begin to despise the family and root for Maggie even more. We want her to realise how heartless the family are and fight back; however, this is not part of her character, so she doesn't. We become frustrated, but realise how much heart Maggie has; the film touches us, emotionally, that we develop a personal connection with the story, and yearn for Maggie to succeed like she truly deserves to.

"A great movie" is simply not enough to describe how much of a film Million Dollar Baby is. In truth, it lingers with you for quite some time after watching. It'll bring a smile to your face, and tears to your eyes. Boxing is only a metaphor for the fight some of us less-fortunate ones have to endure on a daily basis. So, in that instance, I'd recommend this thoroughly engaging film to practically everyone.