The truly startlingly horrific aspect of Cry Macho, however, is Clint Eastwood’s Mike, who ultimately feels like an overcrowded ego trip to the director / star. This is a character with not one but two tragic backstories (his wife and child are killed in a car accident AND he was a drug addict and alcoholic after a terrible rodeo accident), and he’s written as a spectacular and sexy polymath. Gorgeous women not only throw themselves at this ninety year old, but he breaks horses, practices rudimentary veterinary medicine, repairs cars, repairs jukeboxes, masters sign language and much more. His only real flaw is that he can be irascible, but that’s barely noticeable as it has been part of all Eastwood’s appearances in recent years.
