Movie Review: Cry Macho - The Good, the Bad and the Poultry

 I've seen one or two nasty reviews of the new Clint Eastwood movie, Cry Macho around the web - mostly, these reviews can't get around the fact that the lead man is in his Nineties but there's a good movie here and once you get over the fact that the star often looks frail (well, he would at his age) it pays off. Hell, Eastwood still looks damn fine in a cowboy hat.

Eastwood, plays Mike Milo ,a  former rodeo rider, horse trainer and all round animal lover. He sketches out the character in his usual laid-back style but this perfectly complements the adventurous artist he is behind the camera. Milo is hired to travel to Mexico and bring back a thirteen year old boy so that he can be reunited with his father in Texas and on the way Mike meets up with all manner of dangerous hombres and corrupt police officers.

The movie starts off as a thriller but as soon as Eastwood meets up with the young boy, Rafo and his remarkable rooster named Macho the movie slows right down, becomes much more pastoral. There's  some great character moments and a lot of Eastwood's dry humour. And the slow pace of the movie perfectly compliments the character Eastwood is playing - a run down man whose best years are far behind him but whilst there may be snow on the roof there is very much a fire in the cellar.

Overall I think Cry Macho is on the same level as Eastwood's last starring role, The Mule - the characters he play in both are fairly similar but Mike Milo is much more of a compelling character than Earl Stone - Both are road movies and both show an aging man coming to terms with a life maybe not well lived but certainly with many highlights along the way.

Ignore the critics who have slammed the film - critics are bottom feeders in any case and don't create anything worthwhile but exist to tear down the work of others. 

I enjoyed Cry Macho - it's a great, heart-warming picture. There's a great shot of Eastwood, the boy and the chicken walking down a road that is kind of magical and as with all of Eastwood's directed movies the scenery photography is nothing short of stunning.

If you go into the cinema expecting Dirty Harry 23 or The Good, the Bad and the Poultry then you'll be disappointed but if you sit back and allow the story to waft over you then a good experience is pretty much guaranteed. The movie will - make your day, punk.

Long live Clint.