Cry Macho (2021)

Written by Wuchak on June 24, 2023

Teaching a boy the ropes of life while traveling through Mexico

An old-as-dirt ex-rodeo star (Clint Eastwood) is given the task of bringing back the early- teen son of a rancher (Eduardo Minett and Dwight Yoakam respectively) from Mexico City to west Texas in which they have several misadventures. Fernanda Urrejola plays the boy’s mother while Natalia Traven is on hand as a woman they meet along the way.

“Cry Macho” (2021) has similarities to past Eastwood flicks, like “The Mule” (2018), “Gran Torino” (2008), “A Perfect World” (1993), “Honkytonk Man” (1982) and “Bronco Billy” (1980). It’s a road movie wherein the characters get to know each other as they go from one experience to another. The nuance here is contrast of one character coming-of-age while the other is coming-near-death.

There’s drama, humor, potential violence and a hint of romance. Like “The Mule” and “Bronco Billy,” it’s thoroughly mundane, but also somehow (a little) revelational and heartwarming. "All the Pretty Horses" (2000) is also comparable, as is "Rambo: Last Blood" (2019), just minus the action.

The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in the heart of New Mexico (Belen and Polvadera).

GRADE: B/B-