Million Dollar Baby

1/9/05 • Later Review

Simply a superb outing from Clint Eastwood, who stars and directs. Eastwood has had his ups (“Unforgiven”) and downs (“Mystic River”) as a director, but “Million Dollar Baby” may be his best movie ever. Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, an aging trainer. Maggie (an extraordinary Hilary Swank) asks him to train her, and eventually he does. Both deliver world class performances, and Morgan Freeman, as Frankie's long-time friend and associate Eddie, is, if anything, even better. The movie does not shy away from the conventions of a boxing movie; indeed, it embraces them but somehow manages to keep them fresh. More than that, though, it is about people coping with loss, and the relationships these three damaged individuals forge will not easily be forgotten. The strong script is by Paul Haggis, from stories by F.X. Toole. Without doubt one of the best pictures of the year.