Million Dollar Baby and 3 Other Clint Eastwood Best Movies You Shouldn't Miss
We recall the most outstanding movies of the exceptional filmmaker.
Clint Eastwood turned 95 on May 31. During his incredible career, he starred in more than fifty films, and as a director, he helmed forty movies and won four Oscars. We've selected his best works, ranging from '70s westerns to heartbreaking dramas.
1. Mystic River, 2003
Three friends – Jimmy, Sean, and Dave – were playing hockey in the street when a car pulled up. The men, whom the boys mistakenly took to be police officers, took Dave away. A few days later, he returned home crippled and clearly having suffered abuse.
Years later, the friends' fates intertwine again. Jimmy's daughter becomes a murder victim. Sean is a police officer assigned to the case, and Dave was one of the last people to see the girl.
2. The Bridges of Madison County, 1995
A brother and sister are going through the papers of their recently deceased mother, Francesca Johnson, when they suddenly find a letter addressed to them. In it, their mother talks about an old affair.
It turns out that, many years ago, she had cheated on her husband with Robert, a National Geographic photographer who had come to their county to photograph bridges.
Since the 1990s, Eastwood's films have increasingly taken on tragic themes. The director told story after story about how life is sometimes simply unfair and there's nothing that can be done about it.
The Bridges of Madison County is dedicated to the same simple truth. What distinguishes it from other Eastwood masterpieces, however, is its mood: painful yet romantic and reverent.
3. Million Dollar Baby, 2004
Frankie is an experienced boxing trainer whose students have never won championship belts. Now, another talented fighter has left him for a more promising promoter.
Maggie, a 30-year-old waitress who aspires to become a professional boxer, arrives at Frankie's old gym. Frankie initially refuses to take her on as a student; he doesn't train women, and she's too old to become a professional boxer.
However, Maggie is persistent and convinces the old man. Soon, she begins to show success. But then, tragedy strikes during one of the fights.
4. Unforgiven, 1992
William, a former gangster, has long since moved on from his past and is trying to live a quiet life on a ranch. His wife has passed away, leaving him to raise two children and take care of the farm.
One day, a young gunslinger comes to him, looking for an assistant. A reward has been announced in a nearby town for information leading to the arrest of the men who maimed a sex worker. After some hesitation, Will decides to take on the case.
He takes Ned, another aging gangster, with him. What they don't know is that the two men are protected by Sheriff Bill, another ruthless legend of the Wild West.