Cry Macho-Review (Spoilers) · 6:41pm Sep 17th, 2021
I thought Cry Macho was a good-alright film. The film was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino; The Mule; Mystic River) and was written by Nick Schenk (Gran Torino; The Mule; The Judge) and the late N. Richard Nash (Porgy and Bees; The Vicious Years). The film is based on Nash’s 1975 novel of the same name. The film features great direction and good writing, great performances, good editing, good music, great cinematography, a rushed third act, and great themes. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Eduardo Minett, Natalia Traven, Fernanda Urrejola, Horacio Garcia Rojas, Alexandra Ruddy, Ana Rey, Paul Lincoln Alamo, and Dwight Yoakham.
In 1980, an old retired rodeo star (Eastwood) is asked by his old friend and former employer (Yoakham) to help bring back his son (Minett) who’s currently living in Mexico with his neglectful mother (Urrejola). The old man agrees in order to settle a debt he has with the father who helped him get back on his feet after his family died. He arrives in Mexico and finds the kid who has a cock-fighting rooster named Macho. The kid is living a rough life due in large part for his mother not caring so much as well as her men disciplining him. He’s teaches himself to trust anyone. The kid refuses the old man’s help at first, but when he learns that the man is basically a cowboy and that his father owns a ranch with a lot of horses and cattle, agrees to go with him. The mother however does not want her son to go and has someone to follow them. The journey back isn’t a simple one when it comes to facing obstacles, some good and some bad, as well as being followed and the father may not be entirely honest with his intentions. The old man soon grows to care for the kid and vice-versa.
The film deals with themes such as family, friendship, love, loss, honesty, generosity, selflessness, trust, looking up to others, home, being used, goals, a better life, helping others, being strong, knowing your limits, time, care. It may not be a great movie, but it is still a good movie and I would recommend it.
3 Stars out of 4 Stars.
