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Cry Macho
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Eastwood's drama is awkward yet lovely; language, drinking.
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Cry Macho
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Based on 4 parent reviews
I loved it!
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Great movie. Refreshing. Love Clint Eastwood. Also, good sound track
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What's the Story?
In CRY MACHO, Mike Milo (Clint Eastwood) is a washed-up rodeo star who's now working as a trainer for his loyal Texas rancher boss, Howard Polk (Dwight Yoakam). Howard comes to Mike with a special task. Howard's 13-year-old son, Rafael -- "Rafo" or "Rafa" for short (Eduardo Minett) -- is in Mexico with his irresponsible mother, Leta (Fernanda Urrejola), and is possibly being abused. Howard can't go himself, so he asks Mike to retrieve the boy. Mike finds Rafa at a rooster fight with his prize bird, Macho. With tales of Howard's ranch and many horses, Mike talks the boy into coming back with him to Texas. Unfortunately, both the Federales and Leta's bodyguards are on their trail. As they lie low in a small border town, they meet the widowed Marta (Natalia Traven), who runs a small restaurant with her four grandchildren. The longer they stay, the more they hesitate to leave.
Is It Any Good?
There's no getting around the fact that Eastwood, at 91, looks a bit rickety for his role and that the movie feels a little slapdash. But it's also an unusually lovely, relaxed work from an icon of cinema. In one scene, Rafa and a grumpy Mike must reload a bunch of stuff into the trunk of their stolen car after the Federales have searched it. A shirtsleeve hangs out of the closed trunk. Mike regards it for a second, starts to fix it, and then waves it off. Why bother? Often, Cry Macho itself feels like that. Some scenes seem to have been stuck together with details haphazardly left out. Dialogue sounds blocky and over-explained. And while Rafa is described as a tough, feral street rat, the cherubic Minett doesn't quite fit the part, any more than Eastwood feels right for Mike.
And yet Cry Macho is such a precious movie. How few filmmakers were or are working at 91, and how many have the courage to show themselves on-screen at that age? (While the movie doesn't specifically discuss age, it's still there.) In a way, it plays like the final films of another great actor-director, Charlie Chaplin -- A King in New York and A Countess from Hong Kong: a bit awkward, but still revealing. Not to mention that this is Eastwood's 39th film, and, learning as he did from directors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, his classical, no-nonsense style has evolved into a beautiful polish. In this movie, as in many of his others, he wants to demonstrate inclusiveness for characters of color (while acknowledging cultural differences), to discuss the downsides of being "macho," and to show that there's a slower, more delicate, more observant rhythm of life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Cry Macho's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Do the movie's Latino characters have clear strengths, weaknesses, and wants? Do you consider Mike a "White savior"? Why, or why not?
How does the movie address old age? How does it feel to see a 91-year-old Clint Eastwood at work?
What does Mike mean when he says that "macho stuff" is overrated and "nobody likes it"?
How does the movie handle drugs and alcohol? Are they glorified in any way? Are there consequences for substance use/abuse? Why does that matter?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 17, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: November 4, 2021
- Cast: Clint Eastwood , Dwight Yoakam , Eduardo Minett , Natalia Traven
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Horses and Farm Animals
- Run time: 105 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: language and thematic elements
- Last updated: July 4, 2023
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