Let’s just pause for a moment and cherish the fact that not only is Clint Eastwood still alive, but that he has also been releasing a movie every year. In total, ever since his 1971 debut, “Play Misty For Me,” Eastwood has directed 39 movies. Some great, some good, some not so good — these ups and downs come with the game, but his worth as a Hollywood auteur with a singular voice is undeniable.
Eastwood has proven time and time again how his films can still be major attractions for moviegoers. “Richard Jewell,” “The Mule,” “Sully” and “American Sniper,” were all released within the last six years, with a considerable amount of tickets sold. However, and most importantly, it also helped that the films themselves were fantastic (I do have some issues with ‘Sniper’), straight-shooting dramas that could only be made by an old-school veteran of the craft.
A very confident, methodical director, Eastwood was highly influenced by his experiences working with mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel; no wonder then that he dedicated “Unforgiven,” his absolute magnum opus, to both of those directors. In his films, usually tackling complicated anti-heroes, there are no unnecessary closeups, no unmotivated camera moves, no fancy lighting. It’s all just very straightforward. He tends to work fast, with very minimal takes and has a penchant for using low-angle close-ups. That’s the beauty of an Eastwood: it’s a no-frills and old-school Hollywood approach.
The classics he’s directed over his illustrious career are endless. My 10 personal favourites are “High Plains Drifter,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Pale Rider,” “A Perfect World,” “Gran Torino,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Mystic River,” “Changeling,” and, of course, “Unforgiven.”
His next movie as a director, “Cry Macho,” has landed a release date from Warner Bros. this fall. It will open in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22, 2021. The trailer was just released yesterday. It looks exactly as I pictured it. No frills, just-shoot-the-scene Eastwood. He does look a bit more weary than before, but, hey, he’s 91, cut him a break.
Eastwood also stars in the film as Mike Milo, “a one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder who, in 1979, takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man's young son back home from Mexico. Forced to take the backroads on their way to Texas, the unlikely pair faces an unexpectedly challenging journey, during which the world-weary horseman finds unexpected connections and his own sense of redemption.”
At 91 years of age, the man is a cinematic beast.