The acting was brilliant and Clint Eastwood is amazing in his golden years, a real renaissance man.
It was a story. period. And one well told, acted and directed. It should win best movie of the year, but probably won't.
The only flaw in the film was the boxer's family, who were just not believable as the worst of stereotyped hillbillies. The State of Missouri should protest those characters.
As I posted earlier, I thought the film was very well done, from the acting to the directing. It should win some Oscars. I can buy the argument that Clint thought it simply an intreguing story and wanted to film it. I found it more depressing than disturbing. I didn't feel manipulated by it, but I can see where the pro-death lobby would think the movie was "great."