Some in the media are declaring Million Dollar Baby “the odds on favorite to win Best Picture” (NPR this morning), A.O. Scott declared it the “best movie delivered by a major Hollywood studio this year” and critics are fawning all over this movie. Don’t you believe it.
Does Million Dollar Baby have strong performances by three excellent actors? You bet. Is it a better, more intelligent movie than typical Hollywood fare? Oui. Does it have a formulaic and somewhat wooden and jerky plot structure that only works because of great actors and a good director? Oh yes. Does it deserve to be considered for Best Picture? Not at all.
I’m glad movies like this get made. There should be more of them. Also, while the story is formulaic, it at least doesn’t completely follow the typical Hollywood, one-person, against all odds, sports movie formula, so that’s good. But Million Dollar Baby does not come within spitting distance of movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the Incredibles or Spider-Man 2 (to stay within the Hollywood realm).
I don’t know what it is critics have for Eastwood. Mystic River (which was a better movie) was probably the most overhyped movie of last year by critics (and it was the same thing, great actors, good direction, uninspired, obvious, formulaic plot driven by performance rather than writing or depth). Eastwood gets you to care about his characters and he picks great actors, all of which are comendable, but these movies are simply not best picture quality.
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SHENANIGANS!!!
