Cry Macho!

[Osi Osgood]

For those who haven't seen it, Clint Eastwood's latest film, in which he also stars in, " Cry Macho", is well worth seeing, and at 91 (or 92?), He is still well worth watching.

[Steven J. Kirk]

Is this the one about the chicken?

[Mike Newell]

Has this not already been out on HBO and US box office and already bombed. The attempts to film it have been around for close on 50 years with Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum Pierce Brosnan associated to it. Filming on a version actually started with Roy Schneider before being shut down and Arnie has had 2 or 3 attempts to film it. Even Clint was offered. Cry Macho or Dead Pool and chose the latter. Two duds together.

I think it’s time Mr Eastwood retired least Gene Hackman chose wisely to do so 10 years ago. Somebody could have a word with Michael Caine to do likewise if it wasn’t for Chris Nolan and geriatric roles for last decade.

There is time to leave the stage gracefully

[Osi Osgood]

I would disagree. I would agree that " The Mule" wasn't his best, but Clint's average films are better than others best. Besides, when he isn't on screen, he is winning Oscars for his directed films. Therefore, he is still relevant as long as he wishes to be.

[Mike Newell]

Each to their own I am not saying he hasn’t had good or successful movies. The Mule was actually better than some of his other films. He is however past his sell by date. The last Hitchcock films come to mind. As for winning awards you could say a lot. Long life and luck is a big measure of his success. Imagine if he had passed at same age as Steve McQueen we would be talking about Firefox Any which way we can and Bronco Billy not exactly works of a genius.

[Osi Osgood]

I think part of his physical longevity, is that he has been a health freak for most of his life, exercising and all that. He has been able to change with the times to an extent, which other actors just don't seem to be able to do and, as is said at times these days, he has been able to control his own narrative.

[Ken Finch]

Not familiar with this film, but Clint Eastwood and Michael Cane plus a number of elderly actors male and female, are still very good at their chosen profession. Why should they have to stop because of their age, if they are still physically and mentaly able. Some people should remember that age is only a number. Should I stop doingthe things I am good at because I am 87? I still have technical craft skills that the younger generation have never been taught thanks to the throw away society that we now live in. Ken Finch

[Mike Newell]

It’s a complicated debate with medical advances and healthier lifestyle people have had longer productive lives and are capable of carry out tasks that earlier generation would have retired from at an earlier age.


Keeping the debate to the Eastwood discussion. Clint publicly stated that Grand Torino would be his last acting role as he was too old his words. He kept to directing for awhile but has now returned to acting in most of his movies. I would suspect this is because he can’t get them financed without taking an active acting role. The old Warner Bros deal of one Dirty Harry movie one arty jazz movie doesn’t cut it anymore. To be honest he was a better actor than director which at best he was average. He is very economical in the construction of this films and its shows. I had to laugh when in a recent tv documentary one talking head compared him to Spielberg Hitchcock and Ford as a director. Please spare me. 🤯.

I suspect his very private personal life may catch up with him and he will join the Kevin Spacey Harvey Weinstein universe which would be sad but there was always a mean streak in his personality and his behaviour to others stank to be honest.

[Osi Osgood]

Never heard about some bad side to him privately, but his directual style must be pretty good, as he has a shelf full of directional achievements. You don't get that by j ust being "average". In fact many a director will honestly state that a truly great director isn't flashy or showy, and a truly great director is great because when you see the film, even without knowing who the director is, you don't know it's a Ford film or Speilberg film, you just know that it's a good film. That's an Eastwood film in a nutshell.

[Mike Newell]

Osi I don’t agree with you most of them are average. You can strike off Play Misty for me as Don Siegel directed most of it and Outlaw Josie Wales was pre produced and partially directed by Philip Kaufman before Eastwood got him sacked as director and took over which explains the lumpiness of it it. Great directors do have a style watch the movies. Clint is a journeyman more a case of hamburger not steak.

Personal Critique of his Directed Movies

Play Misty for me Mainly directed and guided by Don Siegel
High Plain Drifter took a long time to like it but does have style
Breezy never seen it
Eiger Sanction sub standard James Bond average
Outlaw Josie Wales half Kaufman / Eastwood Above average but lumpy in style
The Gauntlet sub standard Dirty Harry average
Bronco Billy awful
Firefox worse than awful
Honky Tonk Man awful
Sudden Impact 4th Dirty Harry better than Dead Pool just about. Average
Heartbreak Ridge Poor attempt at Sands of Iwo Jima Average at best
Pale Rider loose version of Shane Above Average
Bird if you like jazz but otherwise Average
White Hunter Black Heart loose story of making of African Queen stuck half a hour of it.
The Rookie another Dirty Harry clone helped by Charlie Sheen above average
Unforgiven the big Oscar winner. Thought it was average and badly lit when I saw it in the cinema. Better on Blu ray lifted by having Gene Hackman Morgan Freeman and Richard
Harris would say it was his best.
The Perfect World Quite a good movie. Again lifted by Kevin Costner
Bridge at Madison County like watching paint dry
Absolute Power Good thriller Above Average
True Crime stinker back to small cast syndrome
Space Cowboys actually loved this one Great cast and story
Blood Work average
Mystic River never seen this one
Invictus never seen this one but not into sports movies
Here After never heard on seen this movie
Million Dollar Baby 2nd Oscar winner Not my interest so have never seen.
Flags of our Father tried to watch but gave up Average
Letters from Iwo Jima Never watched
Changeling Actually thought this was one of his best not his usual style.
Grand Torino Had high hopes for this but was disappointed Average
J Edgar Truly Awful worst movie he has directed added nothing better with the tv move Private Files of J Edgar Hoover with Broderick Crawford
Trouble with the Curve sports movie so never seen it
Jersey Boys Frankie Valli biography dragged by my other half to see Average Forgettable
American Sniper Had high hopes but drained away Average
Sully helped by Tom Hanks but basically average tv movie
The 15:17 Paris Good idea but brought down by Eastwood insistence on using actual characters involved rather than actors Average
The Mule Better than normal Above average
Richard Jewell never seen this
Cry Macho where we came in wait for it to appear on tv.

[Osi Osgood]

Strange, you find him to be average, yet you literally have seen all his films from the 70's on up. By the way, one of those two films, Letters from Jima and Flags of our Fathers won a lot of awards. But then, honestly, it all comes down to personal taste. Take Stanley Cramer. Most of his films are highly applauded, and I would have a hard time sitting through one of them, and you are talking/reading the opinion of a professional script writer, as well as a lousy cell phone typist! I feel the same about Coppola. Highly overrated. Some love Orson Welles, others can't stand him.

[Osi Osgood]

Just for the record, Eastwood had been nominated for 10 Oscars, won 4 Oscars, and bear in mind, this is as an actor and director. There has never been a more versatile person in Hollywood that has ever been as successful. I didn't even bother to mention all of his other awards. I think a lot of the "ire" that some folks have against Eastwood, ( I'm not saying that this is your issue), is that when someone is labeled as an action star, they are a one dimensional person or character, as folks like putting people in easy categories, and when they are successful otherwise, for some odd reason, some folks just don't like it.

[Mike Newell]

Yes, I have seen a lot of his movies so it is an informed opinion. Man with no name movies (Leone) Dirty Harry 1st 3 and Siegel movies were all great. From the mid 1980s apart from the odd spark it has all been downhill. Winning awards is no big shake he has the advantage of being in the same age bracket as the most if not all the near living voters.

As for overrated add Meryl Streep, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Woody “I was never funny” Allen. The whole David Niven career, Peter Sellers after Shot in the Dark wasn’t funny , the mumblers De Niro & Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese.

Welles, I found interesting but he was never going to get over Citizen Kane. Stanley Kramer films alright for their time but haven’t dated well.

I would suspect when Messr Eastwood departs from us he will have done what Frank Sinatra did by outliving his fans. There will be an initial fanfare but can’t see there being much of a following or revival.

[Osi Osgood]

Eastwood is like Speilberg in perhaps one way, his popularity defies the critics. Critics have literally went after every Eastwood film, whether acted in, directed or both, trashing them, and yet, they do great at the box office, though I must admit that you'll never lose money underestimating the public's taste in entertainment.

[Mike Newell]

Guess what just turned up on YouTube. Cry Macho trailer. In interest of fairness I didn’t skip but watched all the trailer. I can honestly say I won’t be going to see it . Looked as exciting as paint drying. Is this a sign from Clint?