Review: 'Million Dollar Baby' Packs Powerful Emotional Punch

'Million Dollar Baby' (PG-13)(out of four)

Just when you think the gloves had come off completely and he'd faced -- and conquered -- a formidable challenge last year with the dark and emotionally complex moral drama "Mystic River," Clint Eastwood, the director, has come back swinging again.

The amazing thing is, as much emotional impact as "Mystic River" carried, his new boxing drama, "Million Dollar Baby," hits harder. Once again examining the boundaries of the human condition and life-altering moral decisions that stretch them to the breaking point, "Million Dollar Baby" packs a powerful emotional punch that will undoubtedly be felt in your gut long after the credits roll. It's easily one of the best films of the year -- and further solidifies Eastwood's place among history's greatest American filmmakers.

Assuming a role in front of the camera as well, Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn, a grizzled, yet caring, veteran boxing trainer and manager who harbors contenders, wannabes, and misfits in his Los Angeles gym. Among the residents there is once-promising ex-fighter in Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman) who lives in a backroom of the facility, taking on every duty from cleaning toilets to mentoring younger fighters.

Scrap, as he's called, is Frankie's closest friend and confidant, and he's not afraid to challenge Frankie when he thinks he's wrong. But Frankie will always be one-up on Scrap - because Scrap ignored his warnings in his last fight in the ring, and it cost him the sight in his right eye.

Frankie's mantra regarding the ring is simple: "Always protect yourself." But the problem is, his conservative approach to the way he grooms his contenders is almost conservative to a fault. He feels the aftershock of his cautious ways when he denies one of his best prospects the chance for a title fight because he's afraid he's not ready -- and the fighter decides to bolt from his under his wing to a different manager and fight anyway.

It's the latest blow to Frankie, who's already suffering emotionally because of a long-time estrangement from his daughter. Even a daily visit to Mass and inquisitions to his priest (Brian O'Byrne) can't help Frankie to atone for his past sins.

But in the middle of his latest quandaries, a new contender appears in Frankie's gym, but he wants nothing of it. Her name is Maggie Fitzgerald, and apart from the fact that she's a woman ("I don't train girls," Frankie keeps on insisting), Frankie insists that, at 33, she's too old.

But with nowhere else to go back to but a dead-end trailer trash existence, Maggie refuses to hang up her gloves. She first befriends Scrap, who is taken by her passion for the ring and potential; and, taken by her iron will and kindred spirit, Frankie is eventually swayed to train her.

Soon on the way to greatness, the two score a greater victory by fostering a father-daughter relationship that neither one of them ever had. But when destiny hits them out of nowhere like a hard left-hook, Frank and Maggie must face the greatest fight of their lives.

Even though it's the game of boxing that holds it all together, "Million Dollar Baby" easily escapes the confines of being a typical "boxing movie."

There's a certain triumph of the human spirit element in it, to be sure, as Maggie slugs her way ahead, but also housed inside is a story about three characters who are trying to escape their past misfortunes and demons and find themselves confronted with new ones. Adapted from short stories from "Rope Burns" by former boxing "cut man" F.X. Toole, screenwriter Paul Haggis expertly crafts a script that's about boxing no doubt (he delves deep into the psychology and physicality of the game -- get ready to jab, move and shuffle along with Maggie), but in such a way that it also applies to the game of life.

The way Eastwood works with Haggis' script, however, makes it all the better. As he's proven before, the success of the intimate scenes where only dialogue is involved, are a gimme: It's how he handles the scenes that could have been a trap that are fresh and exciting.

As Maggie matures as a boxer and progresses in the circuit, he could have gone the way of any number of sports films and manipulated the audience with triumphant orchestral music; but instead -- and here's where Eastwood, the composer (whose music has consistently been realized to its fullest potential by longtime arranger/composer Lennie Niehaus), becomes valuable -- the music is low key.

The great thing is, we don't root for Maggie any less without the big sound. You'll understand why when you see her deliver some wicked knockout punches.

Without question, "Million Dollar Baby" generates its greatest power from its brilliantly subtle performances. The dominant off-camera personas of Eastwood, Freeman and Swank all immediately disappear into their characters, and their performances in the film are utterly engaging.

Quite simply, what you see and in another case, hear (Freeman masterfully narrates the film), feels real. In fact, Eastwood and Freeman's charismatic performances are probably the best they've ever been. Their presence is undeniable, and they command your attention every second they're on screen.

As for Swank, she's firing on all cylinders as Maggie. There's no way she could have escaped any real physical pounding in this film - the boxing scenes are just too intense. And, for the sake of argument, even if anybody didn't land any punches, she undoubtedly had to train for the physical rigors of the role - and it shows.

The great thing is, the physicality she displays is only a part of her performance. As Maggie not only does she show charm, warmth and conviction, she shows an amazing amount of restraint -- particularly in scenes opposite her deadbeat mother (Margo Martindale) and hangers-on siblings.

Observers have already been labeling "Million Dollar Baby" as a comeback film for Swank, whose roles since "Boys Don't Cry" haven't quite garnered the same amount of critical acclaim as her Oscar-winning turn as the tragic, real-life transgender woman, Brandon Teena.

The funny thing is, Swank hasn't gone anywhere. She's delivered remarkable performances in such films as Christopher Nolan's "Insomnia" and Sam Raimi's under-appreciated supernatural thriller "The Gift." But her roles in those films have hardly hurt her, because, like a boxer, she's clearly been honing her skills for another title fight.

Comeback? Forget it. She's a great actress that's gotten even better.

With all due respect to the late Marlon Brando, forget about that "coulda been a contender" line -- "Million Dollar Baby" is a contender for Oscar, as well as any other industry or critical notices this awards season.

But no matter the outcome, the film will still emerge a winner. For the prize here is another compelling film by Eastwood that will likely touch everyone who watches it. And that's something that not even a million dollars can buy.

--"Million Dollar Baby" opens in wide release today.