[rating=6]

This week’s review is Million Dollar Baby: A 6 out of 6 stars film. To put it lightly, this film is a masterpiece and is certainly one that should not be missed. I can guarantee you that this is one of the best films that Netflix has to offer.

The film follows the story of Maggie Fitzgerald, played by actress Hilary Swank, who wants to become a boxer. Not only does this film focus itself on boxing, as Maggie climbs her way up to the top of the boxing league, but it goes far beyond its basic premise.

Maggie’s trainer Frankie, played by Clint Eastwood, is struggling to confront the truth that lies within his life. Through the hours spent training Maggie, viewers witness an unfolding bond between Frankie and Maggie. Portrayed beautifully on screen, the chemistry and connection between these two characters are heartfelt and genuine.

Frankie is accompanied by his best friend Eddie Scrap, played by Morgan Freeman, who sleeps within the facility owned by Frankie. Being a previous fighter trained by Frankie, he tells these stories of his past in a poetic and inspiring manner. Clint Eastwood develops this character in a way that is complex and realistic. Scrap’s narration throughout the film is straight to the point and simple. He simply tells the story as it is.

Hilary Swank’s character(Maggie) exhibits traits such as courage and intensity. She portrays Maggie perfectly. Leaving everything behind for a dream to become a great boxer, Hilary Swank embodies this role with pure emotion and heart that is vivid and enticing to watch.

Clint Eastwood’s directing of Million Dollar Baby is phenomenal. Considering how old he is, directors tend to lose their touch as their career goes on, but Eastwood manages to make this his best film when he was 74 years old. His deep focus on these three characters is engaging and through that, we are invested in these characters’ lives.

As stated before Million Dollar Baby is a boxing movie in the sense that it’s the subject matter that surrounds the movie, but there’s more to it than that. It tells us some awful truths in our lives that we tend to avoid. Clint Eastwood suggests that we live the the life of a boxer and its struggles.

He does this by developing a metaphor between boxing and life. Eddie Scrap quotes, “Boxing is Backwards.” It seems odd at first but as the movie draws to a close, we see that just like boxing, life is backwards. We fight to achieve our dream only to see no one behind our dream. When we see pain, “A sane person would step away,” says Eddie Scrap. But in boxing, you step towards it. We do all we can to support those that we love, despite their ungratefulness. Clint Eastwood illustrates the metaphor between boxing and our lives with passion and clarity.

Million Dollar Baby is a poetic insight into human nature. It tells us that our lives are no different than those who fight in the ring. It is an emotional and uplifting ride that never stumbles on what it is trying to tell us. Clint Eastwood tells his most emotional and simple story through these three realized characters that are the voices of the truth that lie within us. This film is the one that will resonate with viewers.