2005-02-13 04:51:54尚未設定
Million Dollar Baby
(reviewed on 12/2/05)
Million Dollar Baby (擊情)
year: 2004
country: USA
directed by: Clint Eastwood
Looking back, it's been quite a while since a boxing film hit the Oscar Awards big, maybe with the last noticable mentions the 1976's 'Rocky' and 1980's 'Raging Bull'. While Michael Mann's 2001 film 'Ali' aimed big and ended up doing just okay, this time around 'Million Dollar Baby' is considered by many as the favourite of the 2005 awards, already notching up nominations in every important categories including best picture, best directing, best editing, best screenplay, and an astonishing triple coup for all three of its leads - Hilary Swank for best actress, Clint Eastwood for best actor, and Morgan Freeman for best supporting actor. So does 'Million Dollar Baby' deserve them? I'd say yes, mostly.
Following the success of his 2003's 'Mystic River', Clint Eastwood proves once again in 'Million Dollar Baby' that not only is he one of the best American directors working today, he's been in his very top form in this couple of years. As in the previous film, 'Million Dollar Baby' doesn't ride its success on any fancy directing or special publicity campaign, it is simply a good story told in the most ordinary of ways. The magic of Eastwood rests on the fact that his films just suck the audience in and engage you from the very first frame to the end credits. Knowing what an impatient viewer that I've always been, and considering the long runtimes of the two movies (of 137 and 133 minutes respectively), it's difficult not to applaud the director's achievement.
Although the film is promoted as a boxing film, 'Million' is not about action as much as about human connection and life. But to tell you how it's so I'm likely to spoil the movie, so let me get my description on the synopsis simple and straight. The story is adapted from the short stories collection, 'Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner', written by long-time fight manager Jerry Boyd (who wrote under the name "F.X. Toole"). Frankie (played by Eastwood) is a veteran boxing trainer who's spent his lifetime in the ring. Operating a small gym and keeping an estranged relationship with his distant daughter for decades, he finds his best fighter walking away from him, as he always withholds his students from greater challenges cause he thinks that one should "always protect yourself first".
It is at this point of his life that a 31-year-old woman walks into his gym. This woman, Maggie (played by Swank), has been living pointlessly for all her life; but she has one clear destiny: she loves boxing and wants Frankie to train her to be the best fighter in the world. Also under the guidance of Frank's only buddy, an ex-boxer Scrap (played by Freeman), Maggie and Frank gradually take the boxing world by storm and share a heartfelt father-daughter relationship that they can't get from their own families. However, only god knows that a greater challenge is awaiting them.
I've mentioned that it's difficult not to give out spoilers while discussing the film; maybe I can put it this way, only three quarters of this film is a boxing film, and believe it or not, the rest actually evolves into a traditional tearjerker, which is the last thing you would expect from a hard man director like Eastwood. Indeed, the part seems to drag on and on that it comes to the point of being unbearable. Controversial moral issues are touched on in the part but not addressed properly, and, in my opinion, what happens in the end looks more like an act of cowardice than one out of respect for life.
Apart from this, the film has generally done well in almost every aspects. Hilary Swank has put on a natural and convincing performance as a pathetic woman fighting for her meanings of life, and she's really got some muscles! Eastwood and Freeman each gives an assured performance as the two guardians of our lovely heroine, but to say honestly, they're more or less just playing the usual parts they play in most of their films, with Eastwood as the cool-on-the-outside strong guy and Freeman as the gentle and caring old chap. When the Eastwood character insists to the girl he "doesn't train a girlie", it's like seeing the same macho Clint Eastwood in any given film of the Western star.
Don't mistake my criticism on 'Million Dollar baby' - for I do like this film. Even though I feel betrayed by the final quarter of the film, I still strongly recommend the movie as it tells an engaging story realistically and is sublimely acted and directed throughout. And it has a heroine who can kick some asses without showing her boobs, which is rare these days. Hilary rocks!
rating: 8/10
Million Dollar Baby (擊情)
year: 2004
country: USA
directed by: Clint Eastwood
Looking back, it's been quite a while since a boxing film hit the Oscar Awards big, maybe with the last noticable mentions the 1976's 'Rocky' and 1980's 'Raging Bull'. While Michael Mann's 2001 film 'Ali' aimed big and ended up doing just okay, this time around 'Million Dollar Baby' is considered by many as the favourite of the 2005 awards, already notching up nominations in every important categories including best picture, best directing, best editing, best screenplay, and an astonishing triple coup for all three of its leads - Hilary Swank for best actress, Clint Eastwood for best actor, and Morgan Freeman for best supporting actor. So does 'Million Dollar Baby' deserve them? I'd say yes, mostly.
Following the success of his 2003's 'Mystic River', Clint Eastwood proves once again in 'Million Dollar Baby' that not only is he one of the best American directors working today, he's been in his very top form in this couple of years. As in the previous film, 'Million Dollar Baby' doesn't ride its success on any fancy directing or special publicity campaign, it is simply a good story told in the most ordinary of ways. The magic of Eastwood rests on the fact that his films just suck the audience in and engage you from the very first frame to the end credits. Knowing what an impatient viewer that I've always been, and considering the long runtimes of the two movies (of 137 and 133 minutes respectively), it's difficult not to applaud the director's achievement.
Although the film is promoted as a boxing film, 'Million' is not about action as much as about human connection and life. But to tell you how it's so I'm likely to spoil the movie, so let me get my description on the synopsis simple and straight. The story is adapted from the short stories collection, 'Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner', written by long-time fight manager Jerry Boyd (who wrote under the name "F.X. Toole"). Frankie (played by Eastwood) is a veteran boxing trainer who's spent his lifetime in the ring. Operating a small gym and keeping an estranged relationship with his distant daughter for decades, he finds his best fighter walking away from him, as he always withholds his students from greater challenges cause he thinks that one should "always protect yourself first".
It is at this point of his life that a 31-year-old woman walks into his gym. This woman, Maggie (played by Swank), has been living pointlessly for all her life; but she has one clear destiny: she loves boxing and wants Frankie to train her to be the best fighter in the world. Also under the guidance of Frank's only buddy, an ex-boxer Scrap (played by Freeman), Maggie and Frank gradually take the boxing world by storm and share a heartfelt father-daughter relationship that they can't get from their own families. However, only god knows that a greater challenge is awaiting them.
I've mentioned that it's difficult not to give out spoilers while discussing the film; maybe I can put it this way, only three quarters of this film is a boxing film, and believe it or not, the rest actually evolves into a traditional tearjerker, which is the last thing you would expect from a hard man director like Eastwood. Indeed, the part seems to drag on and on that it comes to the point of being unbearable. Controversial moral issues are touched on in the part but not addressed properly, and, in my opinion, what happens in the end looks more like an act of cowardice than one out of respect for life.
Apart from this, the film has generally done well in almost every aspects. Hilary Swank has put on a natural and convincing performance as a pathetic woman fighting for her meanings of life, and she's really got some muscles! Eastwood and Freeman each gives an assured performance as the two guardians of our lovely heroine, but to say honestly, they're more or less just playing the usual parts they play in most of their films, with Eastwood as the cool-on-the-outside strong guy and Freeman as the gentle and caring old chap. When the Eastwood character insists to the girl he "doesn't train a girlie", it's like seeing the same macho Clint Eastwood in any given film of the Western star.
Don't mistake my criticism on 'Million Dollar baby' - for I do like this film. Even though I feel betrayed by the final quarter of the film, I still strongly recommend the movie as it tells an engaging story realistically and is sublimely acted and directed throughout. And it has a heroine who can kick some asses without showing her boobs, which is rare these days. Hilary rocks!
rating: 8/10