Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Either you look at this and see cliche, or you look at this and see cliche transcended. I lean towards the latter. Sure, the story seems familiar (though I will say it's likely not the film you think it is), but there's something in Eastwood's unhurried, matter-of-fact direction that makes it all feel real. Crucial, too, is the screenplay by Paul Haggis, rife with dialogue that sounds appropriately smart or stupid without calling attention to itself. And the performances all have a beautiful lived-in quality that provide the icing. I didn't watch this thinking, 'well I've seen this before how many times now'... rather, I was thinking, 'well sometimes that's just how things happen, innit'. Eastwood's grizzled persona, in particular, wrings his character free of sentimentality, much like his dogged professionalism behind the camera keeps the film from succumbing to B-movie sameness. If the lame subplot involving Hilary Swank's whaht-trayash family had been excised, we might have the movie of the year on our hands; even with it, we still have a lovely and moving film, with a haunting thematic kick that jumps on us and digs its teeth in. (This would make an interesting double bill with Unforgiven.)

Grade: A-