Million Dollar Baby *SPOILERS: ENTER AT OWN RISK*

[James Boba Fettfield]

Anyone else see this film? I was not interested in seeing it (I was thinking it was going to be another Rocky) so I skipped on it. Until I heard about the ending. That sold me. I should have never doubted The Man With No Name and his directing abilities.

I want to ruin the ending right here, but I am afraid people will come in and be upset with me. I will keep this cryptic as possible. Anyone else have one of these after the credits rolled?

Or am I alone here in liking this film? Everyone else going to see Sideways (another film I plan to see) or whatever else is picking up nominations?

I just wanted to share that no one should overlook this film like I almost did. Anyone?

(Sorry for being so vague, I just don't want to give away too much for those who have yet to see it)

I wish I could compare it to Mystic River, but I never saw that entire film. Maybe someone else can post and we'll get this conversation rolling.

[2-1B]

Fantastic film, I enjoyed it very much. If it were up to me, Clint would pull an Oscar for this one (Directing, hell why not Acting, too) and I would give one to Swank and Freeman.

Jaymz, I'd love to discuss the picture in further detail but you might as well just drop a big spoiler tag on it so that we can get around the issues here.

[James Boba Fettfield]

I marked it so.

Now as for the surprise. I think it was a newspaper that inspired me to see it. They would not give away the ending, just that it was very surprising. Enough of that, I had to see it now. I love a good ending.

Not so good, though. I mean, it was a great ending but not the one I was expecting. Like I said, I expected it to be Rocky for women. So I was trying to figure it out for the entire movie, then I thought I had it pegged for the big fight. I figured she was going to lose after a long bout . . . man, I really must have kept thinking of Rocky.

Thankfully that was not the ending. It took a whole new direction from after the fight, I felt. You know, I was expecting some "lift me up and inspire me" stuff.

I'm not a boxing fan and everything about this movie just said to me, "This is not a movie I want to see." From her last fight in the ring to Clint's...what's an appropriate word? Setting her free, maybe?

I don't know. I just started this out of emotion caused by the final act of the film and really wanted to talk about it.

[2-1B]

I liked the third act because it really played tug of war with my own ethics and what I would want in that situation . . . I mean, no I don't think it's "right" for people to be taken out that way but at the same time, damn I know I wouldn't want to be imprisoned that way.

You know, it should have been obvious earlier though while she was telling the story of her dog and how he got the shovel.

The whole movie did a pretty good job, I felt, of making Guilt into an onscreen character. Think about it: Frankie at church, Frankie with Scrap Iron, Frankie with his unseen daughter, and obviously Frankie with Maggie. And it's not like it ended with the movie, of course he has to now pretty much take all that emotional garbage with him to his grave. Not very uplifting, indeed.

Hey, how do you spell that word, the Celtic word he used as her nickname ? (My darling, my blood) I can say it but I don't know how to spell it.

How awesome was it to see Scrap Iron get his 110th fight ?

Oh by the way Jaymz, while I LOVED Mystic River, I like MDB even more because
a) it's more plausible
b) it just struck me as more personal

[James Boba Fettfield]

I liked the final act, too. That's what made me enjoy the movie. I mean, I was enjoying it before that big wham! that ends with her broken and wanting death.

Not to make this political, but I cannot fault his character for doing what she wanted. In a way, I admired him for doing it. I cannot begin to explain my reasons for this, but I could not condemn him for doing it.

The film was very true to life for me. Very conflicting and very real. And he's still out there carrying all of this stuff after the movie's end, like you said. I get conflicted because I feel good for him and doing what he did out of love, but then he gets to go on with all of these feelings of . . . regret? Or better yet, blame for what's happened to her and Scrap.

I got to think about this one some more. Watch it many more times, too.

[2-1B]

It's a definite DVD purchase for me, that's for sure.

My biggest (and probably only) criticism about the film is with Maggie's family. I thought they came across as a bit too . . . cartoony . . . is that a fair description ?
All of the right elements were there with the family but at times it was a bit over the top in terms of trashiness. That was my thought while watching it.

Hey, I don't fault him for doing it at all either. In some ways I guess I envy the strength he had to do it because I know that I would not be able to do that to a friend if they requested it, yet if I were in Maggie's shoes I would want one of my friends to do it. Know what I mean ?

[James Boba Fettfield]

You know, I never thought that about her family but I can see your point. I do not see them as being too much. Or over the top with their presentation. In many ways, it's like being back in my hometown and taking a look into the mess of lives I can see from the front porch.

Haha, now when I see this again (probably on dvd) I'm going to be thinking about the neighbors.

[Kidhuman]

Well, I skipped over the posts because I havent seen it yet. Caesar has similar tastes in movies as myself, seeing how we both liked David Gale and 98% of the people hated it, I will scope this one out. If I hate it, I coming for you JBF.

[El Chuxter]

I love Alice Cooper, but isn't it Billion Dollar Babies?

[2-1B]

BELIEVE ME Chux,
I've been going around humming "Million Dollar Baby" in my head for awhile . . . and it didn't help the other night when I watched my Alice Cooper Trashes the World DVD and he did that tune.