"Cry Macho" begins with the introduction of Mike Milo (Clint Eastwood), a former rodeo star.
Mike’s stardom changes his life and he owes it all to his former boss, Howard Polk (Dwight Yoakam). One day, Howard drops by to Mike’s house for an unusual request. He wants him to go to Mexico, find his son Rafo (Eduardo Minett) and bring him back to him.
However, it will not be easy. Leta (Fernanda Urrejola), the boy's mother, claims that he has turned to a life of crime participating in cockfights with a rooster named Macho. For a while, Mike thought that Rafo might only get him in trouble. But he's eventually overpowered by his desire to return the young boy to his father.
“Cry Macho” is like any of Eastwood’s films. The pace of the plot shifts from fast to slow. He plays an underdog that has an impertinent headstrong personality. And he claims to like diversity in his films, even casting them in major roles. However, the story he produced is always lesser on their struggles and more about his character.
These elements in his movies usually turn me off. It’s all contradicting and repetitive. And if these didn’t bother you at all, then you might be able to stick with him throughout his journey in “Cry Macho.”
To be fair there are a lot of nice things about this film. Mike and Rafo have a wonderful chemistry, they’re both fun and compelling characters to watch especially when they argue with each other. Eastwood's portrayal of a cowboy with a hard shell and a soft heart never fails to endear the audience. Even at the age of 91, he still has that swag and appeal that makes him undeniably appealing. The film is also beautifully shot despite the fact that the backdrop is mostly desert.
But despite all of these, “Cry Macho” is still pretty mediocre.
It flirts on profound ideas like heroism and machismo, but Eastwood fails to drive it home with too many exposition dumps. The story also feels uneven. There’s many head-scratching moments that appear like cheat codes to move the story forward. There’s this scene of the goon chasing Mike and Rafo get bested by a chicken so the two can escape. It's funny and lazy. Some sequences, on the other hand, get disregarded of their true value such as when Milo revealed to Rafo the true motives of his father. In the end, it felt like everything that happened led to nothing.
What I wish “Cry Macho” was is a deconstruction of ‘macho heroes’ that Eastwood loves to portray. It would be interesting to have a film that will celebrate and critique the textbook masculine hero in his films.
In any case, "Cry Macho" lacks a narrative, a direction, and a stake, making it so irksome to watch. If you like Clint Eastwood, you might stick around until the credits roll. However, if you don't have the patience for a slow-paced story, this may not be for you.
