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Not only have I never seen "Million Dollar Baby," I know nothing about it other than that it's a boxing movie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank, and won a Best Picture award - I didn't even know Morgan Freeman was in it until five minutes ago. This falls within that "post-Karen, pre-DR period" where I went a long time without seeing any movies. I spent many years, decades ago, being a student of film, but I let it slip because I got busy with other aspects of life - although I have a lot of catching up to do, it's coming back very, very quickly.

Well, for once, I watched the entire film without writing any of the review during the movie - that's because it was so damned good that I didn't want to pry myself away from the film. This movie is a masterpiece, and not only must it surely be Clint Eastwood's finest directorial effort, but Eastwood also *composed the score*! I think that right now, he can take his place as the most important - or legendary - figure in all of Hollywood: He is our generation's version of the stereotypical Hollywood legend.

"Million Dollar Baby" goes on my Top 10 List, or Top 20 List, or Top 5 List, or whatever number happens to resonate with me on a particular day. It's not a "boxing movie" any more than "Unforgiven" is a "western." I'm forcing myself to look at this without looking at any awards, but I do know it won Best Picture. I could also see it winning Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and numerous others - in fact, I'd be surprised if it didn't. How much did this movie affect me? I want to hurry up and finish writing this review so I can see an interview with Hillary Swank about the film, just to know she's okay.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Going into the plot would be redundant and pointless. Just allow me to say that "Million Dollar Baby" is one of the finest films I've ever seen, and that it should be among the pantheon of all-time Hollywood greats. How can Clint Eastwood keep getting better-and-better as he keeps getting older-and-older? I enjoyed "Gran Torino," but that was at a whole other level. Note, however, that both films involve Eastwood coming to terms with religion, atoning for past sins, giving up his life for others, and presenting Catholic Priests - not as characters to be mocked, but as supportive figures, which he badly needs. It's as if Eastwood realizes he's approaching the end of life, and he's displaying all his foibles for us on the big screen.

Make *sure* to see "Million Dollar Baby" at least once in your life; just do *not* be prepared to come away feeling the way you did after you saw "Rocky." This is one of the best films I've ever seen, but it's also one of the most depressing films I've ever seen, and it's not a "boxing" film per se.

I have one question: When Maggie (Hillary Swank) fought for the title, why wasn't she awarded the bout? How is it possible that she wasn't? It would have been *so* much easier to take the ending had she only known that she was, ever so briefly, the champion of the world - which she rightly was.

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I saw this film when it came out, and I was greatly moved by it. Hillary Swank gave an incredible performance and she was awarded the Best Actress Oscar for it. "Million Dollar Baby" also won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (for Morgan Freeman) at the Academy Awards.

***SPOILER ALERT***

This could be the most depressing movie I have ever seen. I cried uncontrollably after watching it. Still, like "Twelve Years a Slave," and "Manchester By the Sea" despite being depressing, it is well worth watching.

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14 hours ago, DIShGo said:

I saw this film when it came out, and I was greatly moved by it. Hillary Swank gave an incredible performance and she was awarded the Best Actress Oscar for it. "Million Dollar Baby" also won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (for Morgan Freeman) at the Academy Awards.

***SPOILER ALERT***

This could be the most depressing movie I have ever seen. I cried uncontrollably after watching it. Still, like "Twelve Years a Slave," and "Manchester By the Sea" despite being depressing, it is well worth watching.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

An interesting piece of information: People on ventilators can't talk in a normal fashion - Maggie could never have spoken like she did in this film.

As to her nemesis, here is some interesting information about the real Lucia RIjker.

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I also saw this when it came out, so I'm not going to be able to back this opinion up with abundant detail because I haven't seen it since, but I remember finding it hokey and very on the nose at least in spots. I often find this with Eastwood-directed films. I don't understand all the accolades for his directing or especially for his acting. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch "Gran Torino" yet ("Get off my lawn.").

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1 hour ago, dracisk said:

I also saw this when it came out, so I'm not going to be able to back this opinion up with abundant detail because I haven't seen it since, but I remember finding it hokey and very on the nose at least in spots. I often find this with Eastwood-directed films. I don't understand all the accolades for his directing or especially for his acting. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch "Gran Torino" yet ("Get off my lawn.").

I can see this. Both of these films are, as you say, "on the nose" in that there's very little room for subtlety or nuance - what you see is what you get, and this is not high art, if you value art as something that really challenges you and makes you think about the ramifications and meanings of things. They're both straightforward storytelling (maybe with a couple of twists along the way), and it's perfectly understandable if that doesn't work for you - it doesn't always work for me, either. 

One film that just popped into my head was "Brian's Song," which also doesn't give the viewer any mobility to do anything other than have a good cry - there's no leeway for interpretation, or any deep meaning to be found (except perhaps the deepest meaning of all, but that doesn't really come as any sort of revelation or obstacle to overcome).

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2 hours ago, DonRocks said:

One film that just popped into my head was "Brian's Song," which also doesn't give the viewer any mobility to do anything other than have a good cry - there's no leeway for interpretation, or any deep meaning to be found (except perhaps the deepest meaning of all, but that doesn't really come as any sort of revelation or obstacle to overcome).

I've never seen "Brian's Song." I'm not opposed to tearjerkers or sad stories per se, but I have a very low tolerance for melodrama.

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