Comments - No Spoilers

[Chris Knipp]

It has its own "reality." You're right. Eastwood is that kind of guy. He's very real. Or so he seems...... the rags to riches noirish fight film genre mix is something pretty remote from most of our lives personally. Let me paste in my US Ten Best list here:

THE AVIATOR (MARTIN SCORSESE)
BEFORE SUNSET (RICHARD LINKLATER)
COLLATERAL (MICHAEL MANN)
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (MICHEL GONDRY)
KILL BILL: VOL. 2 (QUENTIN TARANTINO)
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (WES ANDERSON)
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (CLINT EASTWOOD)
NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (JARED HESS)
SIDEWAYS (ALEXANDER PAYNE)
UNDERTOW (DAVID GORDON GREEN)

Of these, I'd say Million Dollar Baby is one of the remotest from my own actual experience. On the other hand, it was based on the experiences of an actual boxing trainer.

[arsaib4]

Clint Eastwood’s directorial style now has certain lucidity to it. Like what a good musician does with certain notes, he lets his scenes play out like they were initially intended until they disappear into themselves. Only the great directors are truly capable of this and I think most will agree that Eastwood has now become a great one.

Having said that, tonal inconsistencies have always been apparent to me in his films that are obviously the result of the way he directs. The humor omnipresent in much of the first two acts of Million Dollar Baby reappears later in the film even after the tragedy in an odd terse fashion which takes away from particular moments in the film. I had more of a problem with this than the way Maggie’s family was depicted as I agree with Chris that there isn’t a good side to some people. Also, for the amount of time they are on screen; it’s hard for any filmmaker to show them as well-rounded individuals.

I saw this film a while ago and wanted to wait until I had a chance to see it again to truly form an opinion about it. No doubt, Eastwood has created something extraordinary from the material which could’ve easily been ruined in less capable hands. Not too many have mentioned the brutality of the boxing sequences. This is a tough film on many levels and it looks like MPAA has done Eastwood a favor by giving him a softer rating.

As for the certain controversy it has invoked. Eastwood doesn’t care about it and neither should we; it seems like some people simply don’t have anything better to do than to wait around until they hear of something new to shout about. If someone like Ron Howard was directing this film then I’m sure we would’ve seen an embarrassing epic with a drawn out third act until every possible emotion was exhausted. But, let's not forget that MDB was made by a man who has killed a heck of a lot of people onscreen!

[Chris Knipp]

Good point about the boxing sequences, and dumb of us -- me anyway -- not to mention them before. I would add that this is one time in a boxing movie that stanching the wounds is an integral part of the plot such that we feel like we understand what's going on and it's a part of both characters' essential elements.

Like what a good musician does with certain notes, he lets his scenes play out like they were initially intended until they disappear into themselves.

Well said. I'll remember that. Thank you for this re-review, worth waiting for and very thoughtful.

[arsaib4]

Thanks for you comments, much appreciated.