It is interesting to note that there have been attempts to make this movie, based upon the 1975 book known as Cry Macho, for approximately 30 years, and now the project has reached fruition with Clint Eastwood (8-time Golden Globe Winner) as both the director/producer and leading star of this “PG-13 for thematic elements and language” Western drama, which is 104 minutes in length, and I did not even snooze one second!
Eastwood plays a “washedup horse breeder/trainer and rodeo star,” who agrees to try to find and bring home the son of his ex-boss and “savior of sorts,” which will also involve getting the boy’s alcoholic mom to agree to let him “go home to his dad.” Bringing him home (The two are not exactly friendly at first.) will involve a trip across Mexico and “escape” from people who do not want him to leave and especially seem not to want the boy or his “uncle of sorts” to get back to Texas.
As the movie progresses, we see changes in the boy, the man who is trying to bring him home, and others who become involved in the escapade! And, we see various degrees and elements of LOVE, and the rising and falling of TRUST and acceptance.
Animals play parts in this story, and especially a ROOSTER is vital to the “moving along” and the “outcome” of the action.
On a personal note, I must say that it is a little sad to see once-young “Dirty Harry” at age 90 or so and to note the lack of complexity that once was evident in Play Misty for Me and the much more modern Gran Torino and Mystic River of a few years earlier.
But, the movie is entertaining, emotion-arousing, thought-provoking, challengeattacking, and often true-to-life when it shows that even when good conquers, it is not always “totally good.”
Clint Eastwood (Mike Milo), Eduardo Minett (Rafael “Rafo” Polk), Natalia Traven (Marta), Dwight Yoakam (always a good addition) (Howard Polk), Fernanda Urrejola (Leta), Horacio Garcia Rojas (Aurelio), and more—all played their characters well, maybe even a little too well to seem exactly true!
Total critical and audience responses have been mixed with the good outweighing the bad by a few percentage points. Audiences (about 75% positive) have been kinder than have professionals (about 50% positive)!
Some responses call the story simple and yet sincere (I agree.) and note that Eastwood is still economically a “good and charismatic sell” but that in this movie, his physical abilities do not quite fit the needs of this character—no matter how much the audiences “love” him. One of our friends said that it seemed a little awkward, watching a 90-year-old man try to play this “active” character!
My wife gives the move a “B” rating, while I give it a “C+”, and we both agree that we probably would not choose to watch it again unless we were with other folks who had not seen it and wanted us to go with them.
So, as Joe Bob Briggs used to say, “Check it out!”……. and decide for yourselves. You cannot go wrong if you really like CLINT EASTWOOD!
We made our 1st visit to Film Alley (a family-friendly movie entertainment center owned by Schulman Theatres) in Terrell, Texas, to see this movie and were impressed, especially when they brought our popcorn to our seats.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.