2004
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writer: Paul Haggis (screenplay)
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
I had been looking forward to watching Clint Eastwood's boxing drama, about a tough trainer's decision to coach a committed female boxer, for months but unfortunately, it did not pack a punch as much as I had hoped.
Though my focus was not completely on the film at the start, I found the beginning to be quite tiresome and not particularly captivating. It took too long for Maggie (Swank) to begin training with Frankie (Eastwood) and then in a matter of moments she had become a great boxer. It was after Maggie had her accident, though, that the film hit its stride. The plot became more focused and the characters more engaging, with scenes between Frankie and Maggie becoming quite heart-wrenching.
I often find that a film's ending can dictate my opinion on the film as a whole. With the film in question, the concluding sequences were impressive and I therefore leave with a positive opinion. I did, however, find the beginning of the film to be flawed and a slight disappointment following a viewing of Mystic River several months ago. With the latter, I was instantly gripped with the mystery and intrigue of the film as well as the stellar performances. Did I think Freeman's performance deserved an Oscar? No, not particularly. His voiceover may have added a special something to the film but he failed to significantly grab my attention like an Oscar winning role should. Swank's performance was excellent, and it is her character and evolving relationship with her trainer, leading to unexpected conclusions, that made the film.
Though a different style of film, I found last year's boxing flick, The Fighter, to be a more enjoyable, well-rounded film with perhaps even better performances from the supporting cast.
Rating: 7.5/10 (apologies for sitting on the fence...)
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