Million Dollar Baby [2005]

Product Details

Director : Clint Eastwood
Actor : Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
Format : Anamorphic, PAL
Aspect Ratio : 2.40:1
Binding : DVD
EAN : 5017239192968
Number of Discs : 1
Product Group : DVD
Region Code : 2
Release Date : 2005-06-27
Running Time : 127minutes
Studio : Entertainment in Video

ASIN : B0007MAPTW

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Clint Eastwood's 25th film as a director, Million Dollar Baby stands proudly with Unforgiven and Mystic River as the masterwork of a great American filmmaker. In an age of bloated spectacle and computer-generated effects extravaganzas, Eastwood turns an elegant screenplay by Paul Haggis (adapted from the book Rope Burns: Stories From the Corner by F.X. Toole, a pseudonym for veteran boxing manager Jerry Boyd) into a simple, humanitarian example of classical filmmaking, as deeply felt in its heart-wrenching emotions as it is streamlined in its character-driven storytelling. In the course of developing powerful bonds between "white-trash" Missouri waitress and aspiring boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), her grizzled, reluctant trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood), and Frankie's best friend and training-gym partner Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman), 74-year-old Eastwood mines gold from each and every character, resulting in stellar work from his well-chosen cast. Containing deep reserves of love, loss, and the universal desire for something better in hard-scrabble lives, Million Dollar Baby emerged, quietly and gracefully, as one of the most acclaimed films of 2004, released just in time to earn an abundance of year-end accolades, all of them well-deserved. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Packs a Punch (2008-07-26)

I didn't remember any of the hype around this film, and from watching the first 15 minutes I thought it was a female version of Rocky. Being in the dark meant I appreciated the full impact of this subtle and difficult film. Eastwood is a joy to watch on film, and his motivations and thoughts keep you riveted. Like his role in Unforgiven, he plays and ambiguous and complex character. Hilary Swank is a bit corny from time to time, but a few moments on the film grab you in the gut, and give you an insight into an extreme attitude to life - the sort of dedication required to be a top class athlete.I was knocked out - in a good way.

An amazing metaphor of US society (2008-07-19)

This film is beautifully strong but immensely cruel. The strength of the film holds in one single fact: anyone can always win one battle provided they are trained properly and they are managed properly. That does not mean they will win the world title but they can always try and win one victory. How far will they go, no one knows, no one can tell. Luckily, otherwise there would be no meaning in trying. But the cruelty is all contained too in one fact: the end of such a fight for the top title is lost sooner or later if the contender does not learn how to cheat with life and the rules or to be aware the other one may cheat with life and the rules and this contender must be ready to resist these attempts. And that's just what the "boss" forgot to teach his fighter. And she was the victim of the viciousness of the champion who did something wrong for the third time causing severe damage and eventually death. If you just concentrate on these two elements this film is a masterpiece that deserves all the prizes it got. If you want to go slightly farther and sort out other elements like the heavy reference to God and religion, you will fall into something very trite, like the priest advising the "boss" not to meddle with the fallen fighter's desire to die because then he, the boss, would not be able to come to terms with himself. This answer is so narrow-minded, so egotistic in the name of God. I respect the divine command not because I respect or fear God, but because my disobeying this command may make me unhappy. On these sides issues and questions Clint Eastwood is definitely less clear. But the cruelty of this boxing against all people involved in the business is mastered in an admirable way. You win or you die and if you lose you have to die, at least die away into non-existing.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

magnificent (2008-06-07)

best film of eastwood's career and featuring a great performance from swank in the lead role.great film worth buying

heavy personalities in heavy drama (2008-05-30)

Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) stars as Frankie, an emotional boxing trainer who takes a determined Maggie under his wing and trains her to compete at competitive levels. Being a fan of Scorsese's Raging Bull and Michael Mann's Ali, I was eager to see this Oscar winning drama and was able to sit and be engaged into a slow and touching plot about the human spirit.Eastwood leads the way as Frankie, a man with a whole lot of personal history that keeps him from making quick decisions, and gives a deserved Oscar nominated performance in his picture, which he also directs beautifully. Through the character's history, does Eastwood capitalize on bringing out the character's weaker side and he does it to perfection, though it's not Eastwood who steals the limelight.Hilary Swank (Boys don't cry) gives an Oscar winning performance as Maggie, another character with the past casting shadows over her judgement and with the characters both having similar characteristics and interests, does a great on screen partnership start to blossom into an emotional tale.Morgan Freeman (Shawshank Redemption) likewise receives an Oscar for his performance as Scraps. Not in the film nearly enough for viewers to get to know him, Freeman does great with what he has. Jay Baruchel plays Danger, a weak person in the mind of so many others and is emotional to watch the character on screen.After a pretty dull opening does the film pick up as we get to know the characters more and the plot comes intriguing with personal issues the focus in this drama.The plot is consistent once it gets going and with a strong line of personalities the viewers are thrust into their lives as they deal with personal and professional lives.The fights are tense and interesting to watch, none more so than the final one of the film, leaving to a sad and dramatic climax.Stronger than Ali and equally as dramatic as Raging Bull, Million Dollar Baby is one of the great boxing dramas ever made with excellent performances which show in a beautifully directed drama.8/10

Not your conventional boxing film (2008-04-22)

As the title suggests,this isnt a normanl boxing film in any sense.it has a very powerful emotional story behined it beautifully put together,Clint Eastwood plays boxing trainer Frank Dunn who finds not only a great fighter but also the daughter he never had.The main reason i gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because it ends on a slightly depressing note.But other than that it's very good film

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