Cry Macho

By: Anton Massopust

“You have to make choices in life. Kid, you have to make yours.” 

In the new Clint Eastwood film “Cry Macho,” Mike Milo (Clint Eastwood), an old cowboy and horse breeder during the 1970s who used to ride the rodeo circuit and now is too old, but he still has a lot of experience to give. When his old boss sends him down to Mexico to get a young boy named Rafael (Eduardo Minett) to bring him back to Texas away from his alcoholic mom, Leta (Fernanda Urrejola). Mike teaches Rafael how to be a good man.

Reluctantly Mike decides to do this. On the way there, he runs into Rafael’s mother who is not a very good person. She said that the boy has run away, and he might find him at the rooster fights. A friendship forms between Mike and Rafael. His rooster’s name is macho because he is tough, but the federales (police) are after them because the mom wants the boy back. Unbeknownst to Rafael, his father has documents that state he owns property, but he put it in Leta’s name. If Rafael comes back to the United States, his father has a stake in the property. Mike eventually finds this all out, but he feels that it is better Rafael goes back to Texas where he can at least have a new start. 

After Mike’s car breaks down, Mike and Rafael end up stranded in a small town in Mexico. Mike helps the villagers heal their animals and sell wild mustangs by his experience as a Cowhand. Both old man and young boy need each other and learn a lot about each other. There is still a little bit of things that they both can teach each other.

Clint Eastwood is a fine director, and this is a simple, quiet, little modern western that you can watch if you love those kinds of movies. There’s a little bit of action and adventure, but I think young people can learn a lot from this movie. It’s quiet and simple, but moves very slowly, but you’re interested all the way through this journey and coming of age movie. An old man eventually finds a place in this world, while a young man finds out who to trust and how to be a better person. There are interesting characters and it’s worth just a nice sit-down to watch give it a try. It’s really good.