Million Dollar Baby (2004)

This is one of the hardest blogs I've ever had to write. Not because of any ambivalence towards the film, or that I can't find much to say about it. In fact, quite the contrary. It's hard, because I can't wait to read all about it, study it, dive into the symbolism, the 'tells', analyze it. As a general rule, I avoid all other reviews or essays on a film until after I've written about it, just because your judgment can easily be colored by what other people say about films, my judgement especially. So, that aside, I can easily say Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece.

It's no big secret that there's a 'twist' in the film, which occurs closer to the end of the film. It's best to go in fresh, not knowing anything, so I won't spoil it for anybody. I had it spoiled for me a while back, in a general way, but it still can really take away from the impact of the event. Needless to say, it's one of those great slack-jawed moments in cinema.

Right from the start, it's hard to resist Baby. Truth be told, the plot of the film isn't entirely refreshing or original. You know where it's going, at least for the first half, and nothing's really surprising. However, it all unfolds in such a way that it's utterly engaging to watch. The performances are all pitch-perfect in just about every way. What I found most impressive is the chemistry between all of the leads. The way they interact, it all just falls right into place in a way that's irresistible.

I really wasn't expecting it, but it's got one helluva emotional impact as well. To tell you the truth, I really don't know precisely why it has such an effect, at least not after one viewing, but it's the undeniable truth. I think it's due in part to the brilliant characterization throughout the film, they're just so vivid, detailed and rich.

Edit: I forgot to mention one of the great 'mysteries' of the film. You know that Frank has a daughter and that they had a falling-out years ago, but you never know exactly why. When he was telling Maggie about her, in the only scene where she's talked about specifically, he mentions that she "used to be real athletic" but he doesn't know if she kept it up. I'm thinking that maybe she was being trained by her Father, like Maggie, but couldn't keep up with it, or gave it up, which caused the rift. Just a small theory. It's a minor tactic that almost never fails to pique your curiousity and make you think.

The lighting as well is great. It's a very dark, grimy film, but never feels artificially gritty. Many times, characters have dark shadows across their faces, or even sometimes in complete silhouette. It really adds to the entire atmosphere of the picture. The audio is awesome; every hard punch really feels like a jab to your gut, and when the crowd roars, it's almost overwhelming.

Not much else left to say other than it's a great film. I wasn't sure if anything could top Eternal Sunshine as my personal favorite of last year. Million Dollar Baby is at least neck-and-neck with it, though. To put it in DVD-cover-style talk, it's 'BRILLIANT!'