Cry Macho is a Western drama film from 2021 directed, produced, and starring one of the screens biggest icons Clint Eastwood. The screenplay is based on the 1975 novel by N. Richard Nash which was under the same name.

The plot follows a former rodeo star Mike Milo (Clint Eastwood, Any Which Way but Loose, Hang ‘Em High), forced to retire due to a bad back injury, is hired by Howard Polk (songwriter, musician Dwight Yoakam, Panic Room, Sling Blade) to find his young boy Rafael Polk (Eduardo Minett) in Mexico and reunite with him. Mike goes to Mexico and begins his search starting with the boy’s mother Leta (Fernanda Urrejola, Imprisoned) who tells him he is a horrible son who is involved in criminal activities and to not find him. He ignores her request and looks for Rafael anyway. Leta, not willing to have Mike take him, has one of her bodyguards follow him. Mike tracks Rafael down and after some reluctancy, they start their ride back to America, but not without Macho, Rafael’s pet rooster who protects him. Mike and Rafael discuss what it means to be macho during their ride back to the border. They also have their share of problems including the loss of their car. They stay at a cantina run by Marta (Natalia Traven) who befriends them. After a few fun days, they leave Marta to head for the border with the police after them. Marta has left an impression on Mike, but he must bring Rafael to the border where his father awaits.

Despite mixed reviews, I liked Cry Macho. The story is simple and it’s not one of those fast-paced action films with a lot of plot jammed into it or fast edits. It was in part, nostalgic and reminded me of films during Eastwood’s heyday. Say what you will about Clint Eastwood, but the man still has an incredible screen presence. Yes, he is 91 and maybe he was too old to play the part, but he can still do it!

Warner Home Video has released Cry Macho on Blu-ray and it’s a solid release with fantastic audio and video quality. Given a 2K scan, everything ranging from the outfits the actors wear to the beautiful landscapes shot by cinematographer Ben Davis are ravishing. Daylight scenes simply look marvelous with rich colors, deep textures, and a lot of detail. Flesh tones also look clear and accurate with a lot of detail to the actors faces. Black levels are nice and inky, with superb shadow detail. No digital enhancements appear to have been used.

English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also sounds rich with clear dialogue and action sounds coming in perfectly balanced. The musical score by Mark Mancina is not overwhelming, in fact none of the sound effects or action sounds were aggressive. No drop-offs, hissing or other audio issues were detected. English subtitles are available for this release.

This release has a pair of extras

Back in the Saddle: The Making of Cry Macho which is a short twelve-minute look at the making of the film and

Macho and the Mustang which focuses on Clint Eastwood and his love for animals.

Cry Macho to me was a solid film that reminded me of how films once were, simple, a good story and a love interest! Well love interests not so much, but it was still a compelling film. Maybe it isn’t Clint Eastwood’s best work, but I found it to be entertaining. The film has great audio and video quality and a pair of extras to make this a recommended release!

Cry Macho

Director- Clint Eastwood

Cast- Clint Eastwood,Dwight Yoakam

Country of Origin- US

Distributor – Warner Brothers

Number of Discs – 1

Reviewed by – David Steigman

Date 12/16/2021