Machuca
Two boys observe a political coup in their native Chile.
Two boys observe a political coup in their native Chile.
Drama
-
2004
Available on
Country
Santiago, capital of Chile during the Marxist government of elected, highly controversial president Salvador Allende. Father McEnroe supports his leftist views by introducing a program at the prestigious "collegio" (Catholic prep school) St. Patrick to allow free admission of some proletarian kids. One of them is Pedro Machuca, slum-raised son of the cleaning lady in Gonzalo Infante's liberal-bourgeois home. Yet the new classmates become buddies, paradoxically protesting together as Gonzalo gets adopted by Pedro's slum family and gang. But the adults spoil that too, not in the least when general Pinochet's coup ousts Allende, and supporters such as McEnroe.
Director:
Cast:
Similar
Details
Runtime:
116 min
Release date:
24 Feb 2004
Country:
CL, FR, ES, GB
Languages:
Spanish, English
Budget:
$1,500,000
Revenue:
$3,187,700
Awards:
13 wins & 7 nominations
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
Though the film would benefit from further cuts, Machuca still manages to convey the frailty of convictions and the difficulties of growing up -- be it a child or a nation.
– Marta Barber,
Miami Herald,
26 May 2006
fresh:
Thanks to a pristine eye for period detail and strong acting skills by the entire cast, there's no need for the script to press any points.
– Ted Fry,
Seattle Times,
13 Jan 2006
fresh:
A fine, exciting film that makes a bloody historical event live all over again by showing it through the eyes of children on the edges of the conflict.
– Michael Wilmington,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Dec 2005
fresh:
That rare film that merges the personal and political without sacrificing restraint or intellectual honesty.
– Ann Hornaday,
Washington Post,
18 Nov 2005
fresh:
[The film has] an unerring eye for time and place that's counterbalanced by an overly passive, if sympathetic, central character.
– Ty Burr,
Boston Globe,
21 Oct 2005