This is a magnificent film in a way that the Shawshank Redemption is a magnificent film, and not just because both have voice overs by Morgan Freeman (though that is probably no coincidence). This is a film about life and what we all want out of it, told via a boxing story.
Clint Eastwood plays Frankie, a boxing trainer with his own gym. Morgan Freeman plays Eddie, a former boxer of his who works at the gym. We meet these characters through their daily actions, working with boxers, being annoyed at some of the characters in the gym, going to church, cleaning up at night. Hilary Swank plays Maggie, a woman from a poor family, making ends barely meet as a waitress, who goes to the gym and wants to box, and in particular (though we don't know why) be trained by Frankie, who wants nothing to do with her.
Of course he ultimately does train her but that's the only conventional aspect of the film. Much as Eddie explains to us you must do with a new boxer, deconstruct him, untrain them of everything they know and build them up from the basics (e.g., put your feet under your shoulders) this film is constructed the same way. The imagery is noir, with shadows dominating and a minimal amount of light shown. If all you need is an outline or a half a face to tell the story, that's all that's on the screen. While it is a long film and it does take it's time telling the story, it's very engrossing and nothing is extraneous. Every scene adds to an aspect of the story and nothing could be left out that wouldn't hurt the impact. This isn't Rocky, it doesn't go where you expect it to but it's also not the Sixth Sense, it doesn't rip reality out from under you and it's not about a trick ending. Much like Shawshank, it's only once you get there that you realize you've been heading there the whole time.
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