Director Clint Eastwood stars in an intimate story of redemption and finding peace on the road in Cry Macho, a deceptively simple tale that has heart but could have been much more.
An aged cowboy and former bronco rider, Mike (Eastwood), is hired by his old boss (Dwight Yoakam) to cross the border to Mexico and find his teenaged son Rafo (Eduardo Minett) to bring home. In Mexico, Mike runs into Rafo’s estranged mom who is reluctant to see her wild son go back to his dad. Mike eventually finds Rafo participating in cockfights with his pet rooster, Macho. The two start out wary of each other but begin to bond over time, and when they happen on a small town, their lives are changed; Mike befriends Marta (Natalia Traven), the female proprietor of a café while Rafo learns to break in horses. It’s an idyllic life with the possibility for happiness, but reality sets in as Mike and Rafo must make a decision that will alter their lives.
There are some nice elements but also missed opportunities that Eastwood touches on and fails to fully explore. We learn Mike was once on top of the world but experienced misfortune and tragedy. His has learned life’s hard lessons and imparts his wisdom upon Rafo, who is only beginning to learn about growing up. It is the mutual respect that develops between Mike and Rafo as well as the deepening relationship between Mike and Marta that the film could and should have developed to enrich the narrative considerably. Too bad.
Beautifully shot with a flavorful score, it’s a pleasant adventure, a road trip kind of film that does not demand too much from its audience.
*** of **** stars (for die hard Eastwood fans)
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