Review of Cry Macho (2021) by Pnwgamer — 17 Sep 2021

Cry, Macho or The Little Gallo That Could. Veteran actor Eastwood delivers an appropriate performance as Mike, a down-and-out cowboy looking for redemption and meaning in his later years of life. At 91, Eastwood may not be able to pull off the action stunts like he used to, but he ably bring his character to life on the screen to drive this otherwise dull and dusty screenplay. The plot moves along about as fast as the border line in Tijuana on a weekend and is full of outdated tropes that don’t make the film special in any way. Mike is somewhat of a white savior figure who “rescues” a teen boy from the dangers and wanton realities of Mexico in the 1970’s. Mexican police are depicted as incompetent, taking bribes and being motivated by personal gain. A strange subplot where Mike plays Dr. Doolittle for a sleepy Mexican village. And of course, there’s a love story interwoven for good measure.

The relationship between Mike and the boy is not fully developed during the course of the film and makes the ending unsatisfying. The credits roll and I didn’t feel invested in the journey the two had just been on. The titular Macho, a cock fighting rooster, is along for the ride as the boy’s security blanket. Macho represents his transition from boy to man (as you will see from the film’s ending) and serves no purpose to the plot other than helping resolve the film’s main conflict (and no, I don’t mean the pacing). Macho’s role in the film is to wrap up a story that’s been going on for too long. Macho doesn't cry in the movie either, though he does get something stuck in his eye. Hmmm… The plot, while contrived, manages to pull at a few heart strings and is really about the coming of age for the boy and the reconciliation of age for Mike. The action and pacing of the movie harken back to the films of yesteryear - dialogue driven plot with little wiggle room to keep the attention of modern audiences who are desensitized to gratuitous violence, sex, and unexplainable action sequences. The plot needed more action, more Western theme tropes to truly deliver on a meaningful cinematic experience. The film served as decent background noise and gave occasional glimpses of good cinematography. Though somewhat enjoyable, this film does not meet the mark for its potential. This film is not much of a quick draw with how Eastwood hobbles around screen at times, nor is it much of a bullseye.