Machuca

Machuca (2004)

  • 89% of critics liked it
    (37 reviews)

  • 89% of users liked it
    (6,408 ratings)

Political unrest helps spawn and destroy a friendship between two schoolboys in this drama. In Chile in 1973, as the leadership of socialist president Salvador Allende was coming under fire from the nation's military leaders and the leaders of several powerful Western nations (including the… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Andres Wood
Genres
Art House & International, Drama
In Theaters
Feb 24, 2004 Wide
Menemsha Films

Critic Reviews

  • Marta Barber, Miami Herald

    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.

  • Ted Fry, Seattle Times

    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.

  • Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

    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.

  • Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

    That rare film that merges the personal and political without sacrificing restraint or intellectual honesty.

  • Ty Burr, Boston Globe

    [The film has] an unerring eye for time and place that's counterbalanced by an overly passive, if sympathetic, central character.

Read all 15 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Aaron N


    A movie that takes an average coming of age template and mixes it with the true story of social changes in 1970s Chile. Good acting by the main characters, especially for child actors. If the title character, Machuca, was given more of a reason for his name to be the title than the… More

  • Walter M


    [font=Century Gothic]In "Machuca," it is 1973 in Santiago as democracy in Chile is undergoing its death throes. Gonzalo(Matias Quer) struggles to make sense of the chaotic situation as the only stores open are the black market. His mother(Aline Kuppenheim) has an affair… More

  • Quinto W


    The film may be a little slow, but it's also heart-warming, beatifully shot and rewarding. The director doesn't go for cheap tears, which the story could've brought, but rather goes for effective storytelling and painful realism in it's characters.

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Cast

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