I just watched the movie this morning at 9am before I went to work, before my morning cup of coffee and before breakfast! But as soon as the credits began for Million Dollar Baby it had my attention until the very end. Hillary Swank and Clint Eastwood's (and Morgan Freeman and Clint for that matter) relationship was extremely touching and there wasn't a note of disbelief in the whole film. It hits you all the way to your core and brings your eyes to tears more than once. Props to all the actors involved for a wonderful job.… Expand

Let me first qualify that I've done many reviews on here and never given anything a 10. I save 10's for the rare movie that goes beyond being a movie. A movie that actually touches your soul. In addition to having tons of heart to it, the story, acting, directing and score are all first rate as well. Anyone who rates this film less than an 8 clearly has serious personal issues. Films don't get much better than this.… Expand

Swank, annoying as she is, uses everything we hate about her to plow into the the role. There'll be talks about the great performance she delivered. It wasn't great. The role just suited her. Eastwood and Freeman, on the other hand, are phenomenal.

Strong and Powerful! A touching story proved with sweat and pain, and the same time - with beauty and grace of boxing goddess! This sport-drama is one which surely leaves a warm spark into our hearts!

Movie of the year! It´s great!

This is by far the best movie that I have seen this year. No movie has ever moved me like this one.

Could you honestly have thought it was that deep going in? I was very surprised, and enjoyed the movie without reservation. Freeman gives the story ability to move without the other two main characters and does so by giving the film a sense of noble class. A great film.

Masterpiece.

Not what you'd expect.

Very touchy, sad .....best of the best 2005.

The most emotionally intense movie in many years. Old-fashoined, straight-forward and totally captivating. Brilliant performances and direction. Eastwood's masterpiece to this point.

You could not hear a pindrop throughout the theater. I loved Clint, Hillary and Morgan, and hated Hillary's mother and siblings. Therefore, the acting was great and produced the desired connection with me the viewer. It should win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor & Best Actress. The movie definitely scores a knockout. Then please explain to me why I left the theater feeling so depressed.… Expand

Easily the besr movie i have seen in a long time.

Certainly the best movie I've seen this year, and one of the best movies I have seen in my entire life. The acting, writing and directing are second to none.

Best movie of the year and deserves it.

This was the best movie i have seen at the cinema for quite some time. The people who have given it such a low rating clearly do not know much about movies and what the mass majority of cinema-goers are entertained by, and i would like to know what movies they find entertaining/good -- i expect they are anti-mainstream people (in other words, pretentious, and enjoy obscure, dull movies). Anyway, this movie is brilliant, and wholeheartedly deserved all of the top Oscars it achieved (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress).… Expand

It boggles the mind that some people cannot appreciate this for the masterpiece it is. Sure, MAYBE some of the events wouldn't have happened the way they did in the movie, but in the end, isn't the only thing that matters the story the film tells? Don't tell me you can't suspend your disbelief just a little bit.

GREAT MOVIE!!!

The best film of 2004, bar none.

LOVED IT! really loved it! we watched it in english and most of us were in tears after watching it....really touching.

Well written and thought out film that actually addresses some of the issues we see in society today. The score was a little overdone in some places but the general flow of the film was enjoyable and left the viewer to contemplate his/her own issues related to the ending.

I rememeber being very upset at the fact that this movie got the Oscar for best picture. But then again I did not get to see it until I picked up the DVD. I honestly thought Eastwood could not overdo Mystic River. And of course, I am proving wrong (It happent from time to time) This film deserved any awards it got. The relationship between Eastwood and Swank is magic. I hate when i get teary when watching movies. And here I did as well. Great film!… Expand

Never hits a false note, never breaks from its melancholy, reminiscent tone.

Any movie that can achieve such depth of character deserves greater respect than this movie seems to be getting. There are three major characters all of which are amazingly realistic!

Oscar fun!!! Wonderful, Great, Show!!!!

Exquisite. You must go see it. If any other film takes top honors come Oscar time (especially the horrible Sideways), I will be highly upset. This is the BEST film of the year.

Hands down, the best film I've ever seen. I kept thinking about it after I left the theater and the next day! Great performances and Oscars all around.

Best picture of the year.

Best picture. Oscars all around.

At 74 Eastwood is doing his best work yet. Screenplay, direction, and performances are all first rate. Great film.

This was an amazing story about hope, perseverance and friendship told eloquently by Eastwood and his masterful direction. The mesage is not delivered by a knock out punch but rather through deliberate jabs. Masterful performances by Swank, Freeman and Eastwood make this film one of the year's best.

The only reason Scorsese will win the Oscar over Eastwood is because Clint already won. Calling Million Dollar Baby a "formula film" is obsurd. The acting alone is brilliant. If any movie was slow, It was the last hour of The Aviator. Alan Alda for Best Supporting Actor? I'll take Morgan Freeman. At least he was in the movie for more than five minutes.

best movie of the year

Beautifully made and supremely well acted.

Amazing emotional trip. Swank is an iron clad guarranty to get the Oscar.

Engages the viewer such that they are more than just an observer - they are involved in these people's lives. A very powerful movie.

Excellent and thought provoking film. Beautiful lighting. Excellent acting. Nice to see stories like this that don't fit the standard studio formula for box office appeal.

Absolutely stunning, this beautifully crafted film transcends potential cliches (numerous, it's true), for a devastating, yet oddly spiritually uplifting, moviegoing experience. Magnificent, understated performances by all, particularly the incredible Hilary Swank. Expresses so much about fathers and daughters -- and the true dimensions of love and responsibility. Bring boxes of Kleenex, and prepare to be haunted by this exquisite film long after you've left the theater.… Expand

Exciting movie. All the acting is brilliant. The pace is perfect even in the movie's final act. Not only Eastwood's best performance, it's also his best musical score to date. I also love how the film was lit. Excellent, Excellent!

Kicked my butt. Loved it.....Eastwood/Swank convinced us what love is truly all about. Oscars for all three leads...movie and director.

This movie is rooted in one of Hollywood's oldest plots--the come-from-behind sports movie. But, it's very hard to make a totally original movie after 100 years of movie-making. Yet, Eastwood and the others in the cast have transcended cliche and made one of the most engrossing movies in years. I suspect this film will be one that Eastwood is most remebered by. By the way--speaking of cliches: One person is reponsible for 90% of the negative reviews registered here. He doesn't have the wit to cover his tracks with varied style in his narratives. His writing is supreme evidence of cliche run rampant. He's also a believer in "Vote and vote often." Without his multiple entries this movie would have an audience rating closer to 95%.… Collapse

Ideology-wise, "Million Dollar Baby" is cruel. Eastwood gives us a welfare family which exemplifies the darkside of liberalism that Republicans warn us about, but it's the go-getter that overcomes her environment who gets punished. What is Eastwood's message? Life's not fair. This is my favorite subversion of the inspirational sports movie since "Lucas".

Well-done, entertaining, interesting ending, but didn't leave a deep emotional impression. The big surprise is that the Hillary Swank character is really a man. (just kidding)

[***SPOILERS***] Superb! Raw emotions without being sappy. 3 unapolgetic fighters to the end. Spinal cord injury scenes not shown as bad as it really is.We know because we live it and there is alot of physical and emotional pain. Thank you for bringing awarenss to this terrible injury.

I don't know what more you could possibly want. Exactly as I hoped it would be!

Emotions run the gammut... You'll laugh, you'll cuss, you'll cry.

Eastwood captures the most heartfelt emotions without becoming overly sentimental. The relationships between the three main characters are incredibly touching and ring very true. He captures the complexities of life in such an understated manner that you cannot help but be caught up in the characters' stories and swept in a tide of emotion. But you never feel manipulated. It just is what it is. Hilary Swank surpasses her performance in "Boys Don't Cry." This physical transformation (she IS this boxer) is also powerful, but it's her portrayal of someone who, despite overwhelming odds, stays ture to her authentic self, and pursues her quest for a true family and her dream with equal exuberance. This is a classic that is detined to move audiences for years to come.… Expand

Powerful, emotional, gut-stirring don't really come close to describing this movie. No movie has ever smacked me as hard as this one.

It looks already like a classic.

Great movie - Clint Eastwood is one of the best. Morgan Freeman did a wonderful job, if fact the whole movie was extremely well acted and beautifully photographed.

It's one of the movies of the year... Great movie, Great director, great actress, great secondary role actor (Morgan Freeaman)!! Loved it!!!

The Best Film of the Year. On the outside 'Million Dollar Baby' seems like a boxing picture, but it's really a character study of the three characters involved (played expertly by Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman). Before I saw the film, I thought it was going to be a tacky and sappy girl boxing movie, but it wasn't. I find even after I've seen it, it's hard to convince people the film is not like that, and it's not a conventional formulatic boxing film like Rocky, but that it is something a hell of a lot deeper. After seeing the film for a second time, I found that it really has no weak points other then being a little slow towards the beginning (which was essential in order to tell the story correctly.) Clint Eastwood not only does an outstanding job directing this soon-to-be-classic, but he also produces the film, composes a spellbinding musical score, and gives his very best screen performance as Frankie Dunn, a down-on-his-luck boxing manager who decides to take on a wannabe female boxer. Morgan Freeman provides us with a quiet yet extremely effective performance as Frankie's long-time friend and partner. Not only does Freeman play this part, but his character narrates the story, so the whole movie is told from this character's perspective. The on-screen chemistry between Eastwood and Freeman is too incredible for words, a chemistry that was only once before seen in 1992's Best Picture winner 'Unforgiven', that was also made by Eastwood. The best peformance of the film obviously comes from Hilary Swank as the average trailer-trash restaurant waitress who's one true passion is for boxing. Swank delivers a tour-de-force performance, and along with Eastwood it's also her best on-screen acting performance. Ms. Swank knows her character very well, and it shows that she didn't just memorize the lines of the character, but she embodied the character. Overall, when you see the film you don't see the three actors, but the characters they portray. 'Million Dollar Baby' is my choice for Best Picture, along with the Oscars for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Original Score. I give
'Million Dollar Baby' an 'A'.… Expand

I saw this movie last night and I adored it, it was moving and inspiring and the acting was unbelievable!! I find it mind-boggling that anyone could see this movie and not love it, but I guess it all boils down to taste!! I rate it up there with Shawshank Redemption, I hope it wins every award!!

Outstanding!!

The best film of the year very intense came out of the theater feeling like I just went 10 rounds.

Incredible. Best movie of the last year. Hope it wins the oscar.

When the lights came on, I felt that I had just been through an intense emotional workout. This is masterful storytelling, never overdone.

I really found the movie extremely depressing. My stomach was in knots. Regardless, the acting, directing and screenplay was tremendous. Therefore, if you are going, thinking this is anotherROCKY type movie better stay home.

Best movies I've seen this year and i don't like boxing!

Hillary Swank is awesome, Clint is right there and Morgan Freeman is solid. A terrific movie, just about perfect.

This is one of the best movies i've seen in awhile. it's up there with "friday night lights" as one of my favorite dramas with a sports theme. eastwood's acting and direction has aged like a fine wine. he's a classic american actor who delivers a knock-out punch in this film! yes, it is depressing near the end but it seems very true to life given what can easily occur in this visceral and at times, brutal sport.… Expand

As always eastwood is the best.

Superb storytelling with superb acting, probably why this earned best picture. Enjoy!

Simply espectacular.

Best movie I've seen in SEVERAL years. (And I don't even like boxing.) Terrific acting all around, ideal casting, and a story that still gets to you long after going home. I love Eastwood movies, and this is his best.

Beautifuuly told story of human nature and life.

Million Dollar Baby is an unbelievable motion picture. It completely deserved the Best Picture Oscar. Hillary Swank's, Clint Eastwood's, and Morgan Freeman's performances were astonishing! Make sure you see this movie.

This isn't typically my sort of movie, but I really enjoyed it. I like jeremy's oscar the grouch award idea, but it would more fittingly go to someone who thinks everything is garbage b/c they're a grouch.

Million Dollar Baby is the best serious movie of 2004 hands down. After some mediocre efforts through the late 1990's and very very early 2000's Clint Eastwood has struck back with great elacrity. Mystic River was a superb brooding crime drama and this film is another superb brooding drama. The film boasts brilliant acting from Swank, Freeman and Eastwood himself, its a must see for any film buff.… Expand

This movie is definately on to see, for many different reasons for one the acting was great especially for such a low budget film.

Incredible Movie. Acting first rate.

A bitter movie, Million Dollar Baby shows, in a direct and merciless way, several aspecets of our miserable cruel lives. If you enjoy seeing the same old predictable stuff on the screen, this is NOT a movie for you.

The actors don't play the characters, they breathe them. The essence of emotion was never better captured by anything in recent cinema.

It is the best movie I have ever seen. It is sensitive as much as entertaining. I have never seen such a great mix of such deep emotions. It was the first movie that has made me cry.!!! It needs to be good!!!

Eastwood has taken a cliche and turned it into poetry.

Best Picture 2004 -- Game, Set And Match.

I generally don't like violent films and some of the fight scenes are very brutal. However, this film was more than a boxing film. I think it is the best American film I've seen this past year.

This movie really makes you care about its characters. I can not remember the last time I cared this much about characters on a screen. Humanity is this movies greatest gift.

This movie has something that many American movies do not achieve ,nor aspire to, character development and plot. Beauty in it's simplicitiy and portrayal yet complex in what it delivers. The direction, the acting, and the script were brilliant. One of the most entertaining, emotionally and cerebrally evocative movies I have ever seen.

Amazing and beautiful.

When the movie ended, the audience left the theatre quietly...almost reverently. This is one of those movies that tugs at your heartstrings and leaves you deep in thought.

A drama about triumph that triumphs itself. I think I will have a hard time choosing: This or Vertigo?, for my #1 movie.

This movie was brilliant. The best movie I have seen in at least 10 years. (I think the last movie of this caliber that I saw was Schindler's List.) The people giving it a negative review need to have their heads (and hearts) examined. Political commentary should be kept out of it. This movie is NOT trying to make any political statements. It is simply trying to be a great film. On this level, it succeeds. It is a touching, wonderful, soulful portrayal of a boxer, brought to life by the fabulous, Oscar-worthy performance of Hilary Swank. Hats off to Clint Eastwood. This is a far better movie than Mystic River, and far more intricate and riveting than the also brilliant "Closer" or the "Aviator." It gets my vote for best movie of the year...maybe of the last several years. If you only see one movie this year, see this film.… Expand

Eastwood's film is a masterpiece; the best work he has ever done, and the most emotionally involving. Hilary Swank is a marvel.

The best movie of the year hands down. I am not a huge Eastwood fan bnut this was truly a great film. Swank and Freeman were dazzling.

Wow! F***! Far Out! I'm hard to please, but this incredible, understated, and powerful piece of work just blew me to Venus!! 9.25

Excellent movie, well acted, excellent script.

No doubt this is Cllint Eastwood's best picture to date. Should win all Oscars in each catagory it is in. I fell asleep in the Aviator.

Fabulous movie...certainly not the "Rocky" I expected! A MUST SEE!!!!

Wonderful.

I saw this movie yesterday and I cannot stop thinking about it! I didn't look at my watch once throughout the viewing! Terrific, definitely a must see!

The million Dollar Baby worth a million without a doubt. A drama with such a powerful story that makes you love every characters, a well crafted story fashioned with emotions, determination,love in many ways finally undescreptible but magistral. One of the best movie ever made in such a simply loving method to let you learn a little something every chapter of the movie. Clint eastwood has made something that won't be reached in a while.… Expand

Great Movie - The best, in my opinion, Eastwood has done. Should sweep the Oscars.

Best film ever!

Movies that leave the theatre with you - carrying the emotions the director tried to impart on the viewer - are the best kind. Its been 48 hours.. and the mood created by that movie is still with me...

Absolutely amazing.

Definately one of the better movies out there to see. Swank convinced me of her daughter like love for Easwood's character. Their relationship touched me. Though there is some action in this film it is more of a film about emotions. If you are looking for a movie strictly to be entertained this might not be for you. Freeman was of course perfessionally good in his acting and I enjoyed his more subtle relationship he with Danger. This cleverly mirrored Swanks relationship with Eastwood. It wasn't as deep but eluded to something that it too might bud in the future. If the movie had any flaws it appeared to be in the beginning where the characters were settling into their roles. Also, even though touching and emotionally rich the ending left you a little sad and uncertain with what was to become of Eastwood's character. This is not necessarily a negative but if you are looking for cheer this may not the best movie to see, though it had a few goldern humorous moments . Overall, Kudos for Eastwood and the rest of the gang. A movie well done.… Expand

Best movie I have seen in a LONG time !!!! Cut to the core