Replies to post #13352 on Movie, Music, and TV Reviews (MOVIES)

[occams_razor]

when I first saw million dollar baby, I was entertained by it. I was amazed that it won best picture though. Even though I haven't seen Crash yet, if the same heavy handed emotionally manipulative tricks were used, I can see how someone can both like the movie and be appalled it won best picture.

In million dollar baby, the characters were too cliche. The black former boxer sympathetic guy who lives in the gym. Morgan Freeman is starting to seem the same to me in every movie I see him in. Eastwood himself as craggy trainer. Hillary Swank was too bright eyed. The dirty fighter was too nasty. The trailer trashy family too trashy. And the treatment of euthanasia was trite. Of course euthanasia was a good thing in that case. Oh well, just a font of negativity here.

[cintrix]

But, in an ensemble film like this...that doesn't focus too much on any one individual character...I guess that's not that surprising.

Yes, that is the reason - in fact I was a bit surprised that Dillon got the nomination because there were so many great performances in that movie, but none of them were in it anymore than the next actor - they all had small roles.

[Hoople]

I'm happy people are passionate about the film, at least. Originally, I rated the movie 3.75/5, mostly for the acting. An example I used was Bullock's performance in the locksmith scene. Her acting was terrific but the scenario was absurd. I agree that the acting was wonderful. I also enjoyed the fact that the characters were somewhat complex. The screenplay is what I had a problem with (while I understand that the complexity of some of the characters IS part of the screenplay). Hey, that's what makes the world go round, I suppose. I thought the story was hogwash.