Machuca poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Matías Quer, Ariel Mateluna, Manuela Martelli, Aline Küppenheim, Federico Luppi ... see more see more... , Ernesto Malbran , Tamara Acosta , Francisco Reyes , Alejandro Trejo

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 n... read more read more...ation's military leaders and the leaders of several powerful Western nations (including the United States), many in the country were inspired to address the issues of the vast gulf between Chile's rich and poor. Father McEnroe (Ernesto Malbran), one of the headmasters of an exclusive private school, decides to confront this matter by giving a handful of poor children a full scholarship. Pedro Machuca (Ariel Mateluna) is one of the new students, and while he and his fellows are picked on by the school's bullies, Pedro is a brave kid who stands his ground, and he's soon befriended by Gonzalo Infante (Matías Quer), whose rich parents live in Santiago's wealthy suburbs. Gonzalo's family is standing on shaky ground these days; his mother (Aline Küppenheim) is having an affair, and his father (Francisco Reyes) finds himself at odds with her increasingly right-wing political views. Gonzalo begins spending more time with Pedro and his family; he particularly likes Uncle Willi (Alejandro Trejo), who cheerfully sells flags to Chileans on both sides of the political fence, and develops a crush on Silvana (Manuela Martelli), Pedro's older cousin. But the political and economic differences that are dividing the country find their way into the school, leading to a rift between the two friends. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

90% liked it

6,060 ratings

Critics

89% liked it

37 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 1 min.

Directed by: Andres Wood

Release Date: February 24, 2004

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 6, 2007

Stats: 413 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Gonzalo Infante, Silvana and Pedro Machuca Bicycle scene
Upload a Photo | View All Machuca Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (413)

  • DrZeek
    October 5, 2006
    DrZeek
    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 t... read morehe film could have been better, or have reached a different direction, but it is still a well made film, and I learned about some Chilean history that I was not aware of before hand.
  • gator681
    October 17, 2007
    gator681
    [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 with an... read more older man to get the goods her family needs including the Lone Ranger books her son loves. At the private school Gonzalo attends, five indigent local students are admitted, one of whom, Pedro(Ariel Mateluna), he befriends, going so far as to help him and his older sister, Silvana(Manuela Martelli), sell flags at demonstrations.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]"Machuca" is an ordinary and superficial coming-of-age movie with strong echoes of "Au Revoir Les Enfants" whose sole distinction is its setting which it does not take full advantage of. "Blame It on Fidel" did a much better job of showing a conflicted world through a child's eyes.[/font]
  • divinetrash
    January 30, 2008
    divinetrash
    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.
  • kylegarvey6
    May 23, 2012
    kylegarvey6
    In spite of an intelligent construction and some positive, forward-thinking stylistics, Machucha is dragged down by unforgivable thematic difficulties, harsh and boring politics being just one.

    Early on, there are glimpses of a sharp, fun style -- especially in the charming pop-... read moremusic cuts around the more adventurous scenes (parties and kissing and condensed milk), and in the skillfully woven intersections of privileged boyhood angst and national torpor -- but suddenly the script hits a strident, speechifying narrative speed bump, and it all goes to hell.
  • marevalo83
    November 2, 2010
    marevalo83
    Ouch. Despite being set in a different era and among an especially turbulent time in Chile's history, this film quite accurately depicts the harsh social inequality that still reigns in South American countries. However, the realism is appreciated as a social commentary and qui... read morete important in depicting both what was happening in Chile's time during this portion of history, and the current state of affairs throughout the continent.
  • mmartine3
    July 20, 2007
    mmartine3
    Coming of age story situated in the fnal days of Chilean socialist president, Salvador Allende and the rise of the right wing. How does it feel to grow up in times of political turmoil?
  • whitekeltz
    June 19, 2006
    whitekeltz
    Incredily powerful film about the political climate of 1973 Chile, and a friendship that struggles to survive it.

View All Machuca Reviews

Critic Reviews

Michael Wilmington
December 9, 2005
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. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
November 18, 2005
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

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

Ty Burr
October 21, 2005
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. Full Review

Jonathan Curiel
July 15, 2005
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle

It's a sensitively wrought work that reveals a time in Chile when class differences were both ignored and emphasized, depending on your perspective. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
April 28, 2005
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

One of those special films that broadens and deepens as it goes on. Full Review

Karen Heller
April 14, 2005
Karen Heller, Philadelphia Inquirer

Machuca is sweet, poignant, and winningly evocative of the period, though occasionally dogged by predictable scenarios and caricatures.

Russell Scott Smith
January 23, 2005
Russell Scott Smith, New York Post

Grabs our hearts by lingering over details of the trio's friendship.

Jack Mathews
January 21, 2005
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

An astonishingly intimate and painful coming-of-age story. Full Review

A.O. Scott
January 20, 2005
A.O. Scott, New York Times

Both sweet and stringent, attuned to the wonders of childhood as well as its cruelty and terror. Full Review

Michael Atkinson
January 18, 2005
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

Wood is fastidious about period set design, but not much else; rather than burning with experience, the film feels opportunistic. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

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

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Pan's Labyrinth
    Pan's Labyrinth (92%)
  • Calle Santa Fe
    Calle Santa Fe (100%)
  • La Lengua de las Mariposas (Butterfly) (Butterfly Tongues)
    La Lengua de las Mariposas (Butterfly) (Butte... (100%)
  • Il Postino (The Postman)
    Il Postino (The Postman) (75%)

More Movies like Machuca

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Machuca : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Machuca. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Machuca Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Machuca to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?