Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood
The only wrong move in the realization of this movie was the casting for the lead role. Clint Eastwood should give away the acting part, and just keep directing and producing. It would be a much better choice.
Other than that the movie is kind of OK. But just that.
The story is naive and doesn’t have any special excitement. Movie is in some parts too slow to watch, so you will wish to have a short siesta until the boring part is over.
This movie was probably a good fit for the mid 70’s or early 80’s. But in today’s cinema world there is no more room for this slow motion gig. It is just outdated.
Mike Milo (played by Clint Eastwood) is a former rodeo champion. When he gets in trouble with his life and career, and booze and other bad habits are his daily and nightly reality, a local ranch owner helps him get out of the hole. He gave him a job and put him back on track. When payback time comes, Mike is asked to go to Mexico to find and bring across the border a 13 years old boy, the son of the ranch owner. Returning the boy from the suburbs of Mexico City to the American border will not be easy.
Most of the movie is just the old man travelling with the young boy. Here instead of pumping up the dynamics, Eastwood gets into the slow narration, with many unnecessary scenes and no increase in the dramatic or action tempo whatsoever. There is a border police stop scene- this one will wake you up from our siesta a little bit, one short car chase after that- will wake you up again, just before you get another urge to nap due to the inactivity of the movie.
The symbolism of starting a new life for a young boy across the border, and at the same time, starting a new life for the old man who will stay in the small town in the prairies of Mexico with his new love, lovely local tavern owner Marta, are some positives that you can take from this overall not attractive story.
The real truth is that as Mike says in one moment while working as an unofficial animal doctor in the Mexican village: “There is no cure for old.” This Eastwood directorial and acting attempt comes under the same category.
At one point everyone must say: “That’s enough. It’s time to end the long journey.”
