Paulina Palero I haven't seen a movie that seemed so honest and real in a long time. I believe that the actions taken by the characters are natural for them, the children take the decisions and act as children would act in real life. There are many movies now days where the actions of the characters don't seem to fit the character they are unnatural and sometimes even betray the character themselves, but not in Machuca, every action has a reason to be. This could have been a really bad movie if it had been done just a little bit different. There are not amazing shoots there are not long monologues that seem unnatural and every character is constant throughout the movie. The movie takes place at the end of the presidency of Salvador Allende and at the end of the democracy of Chile.Gonzalo and Pedro, the main character of the movie, become friends almost immediately, even though the they are from different social classes, Gonzalo's family supporting the right side and Pedro's family supporting the left side, the kids still become friends by fighting their bullies. This shows how children don't really care about the material stuff or how much money someone has, as long as they can have a fun with someone they will become friends. Gonzalo and Pedro might have very different lives but they understand each other and are intrigued with each other lives. Gonzalo is welcomed in Pedro's family. Gonzalo has his first reality shook when he goes to Pedro's house and sees how the other side of Chile lives. Gonzalo's reaction to Pedro's life is natural. He doesn't feel completely comfortable because he is used to way nicer things but he is not scared either, he is mature enough to understand that Pedro's family is not like his and he accepts it and doesn't let this difference come between his friendship with Pedro. He even decides to help them sell Chilean flags during protests. Whit this simple action Gonzalo gets a better understanding of the situation in Chile, even better than his mom who is shown supporting the right side and even being mean to Gonzalo's crush, Silvana. It is the adult who start to drive Gonzalo and Pedro apart. The families of Gonzalo and Pedro's school do not like the people of lower resources to go to the same school as they "privileged" children. Finally, the cruelty of the revolution drives them apart in a horrible way, Gonzalo tries to help his friend but he is in danger by doing so and ends up running away. We can see the regret of Gonzalo for ruing away but there is nothing he could have done but we know that he will be the change Chile will need in the future. The movie does a great job at showing both sides of the Chile revolution and at making it all seem real. The camera movements, the different shots, the actions of the characters with a reason behind them all help the movie be as realistic as possible and to be able to show both sided of the revolution. I truly enjoyed this movie and the story it tells. It is a movie that helps understand better the situation Chile went through.

trhee4 Machuca is a powerful story of the not too far off history of Chile through the eyes of a young boy. Set in the early 70s during the revolution that resulted in Salvado Allende being overthrown by the nationalist coup. The film exposes the large difference in class and political preference. Gonzalo is in a middle class family whose mother is very much for the nationalist keeping the order, allowing her to continue to live in luxury. Gonzalo becomes friends with Pedro Machuca, which crosses both political and social boundaries. Pedro is from a poor family who is in favor of the socialist movement, which gives them a chance for a better life. The two opposing sides ended up in a violent conflict. In the film it expands to the military moving in on the slums where Pedro's family lives.In an interview with Director Andrés Wood it is becomes clear what a bold film this actually is. In Chile it is illegal to portray the military in a negative light. As a result, Wood points to this as a reason why it took so long for a film like this to be made. Another element which makes this film valuable, is its relevance in helping people understand what is going on in the present. Historically, and during the film, it is declared that President Allende committed suicide. However, just recently Allende's family successfully petitioned to have the former President's body exhumed in order to determine the cause of death. During the film it is clear that the Nationalist Party of the past was made up of the wealthy and the middle class. They were not portrayed as decent people, but as snobs, adulterous, thieving, narrow minded, and a selfish group of people. Gonzalo's mother is an example of this, but she justified her behavior because she was desperate to hold onto what was secure. It is probable that most members of the upper-class rationalized the events of their time in the same way. They would cling to what was secure and dispose of whatever they deemed as a threat. This film reveals strong political ideals, as well as portraying a coming-of-age story. Gonzalo and Pedro were forced by circumstance to be on opposing sides socially/politically and to grow up without warning and without a choice.

finn_ You know, best movies are so intense that you can even taste them. You sit there in the dark glued to your seat and you forget time, your popcorn and companion. This movie was definitely one of them.Machuca has a strong political undercurrent. We see how the tension between poor socialists and the wealthy right-wing nationalists accumulates to the violent outburst. The brutal coup d'etat was orchestrated by the CIA and the US foreign office and will always remain as one of the most shameful actions ever taken by the US government.However, for me the political circumstances were a setting for a story of friendship beyond boundaries of class, wealth or color of a skin.Now, Machuca is not the first film to depict friendship of two persons coming from different backgrounds, but it is astonishing in its honesty. Why did it feel so real? Not once it felt emotionally calculated nor pretentious. That's a sign of a great director. Also the young actors were very convincing. Actually, I can hardly believe they knew there was a camera around.Another amazing factor in this movie was the authenticity in which it showed us the complexness of life and relationships. It's not easy, growing up, and honestly we adults really often make it more hard than it ought to be. Folks, this ain't Disney. It's rough and tough movie (but not totally without humor). I felt sad and empty afterwards but I know for right reasons. 10 out of 10.

gradyharp Andrés Wood is a highly regarded Chilean filmmaker, a man unafraid to take on controversial issues and present them in a manner that is revelatory to his audience, whether that audience is in Chile or other South American countries - or in Europe or North America. In MACHUCA he transports us to the year 1973 in Chile when Pinochet's military coup overthrew Allende's socialist 'democracy'. Knowing that there remains a divided opinion of this period of time, a time when Allende supporters who could not escape the country were murdered or placed in detention camps as political prisoners, Woods sensitively recreates this period through the eyes of children from the populace divided by the middle class and the poor, a technique which works on every level.Saint Patrick's School for boys in Santiago is headed by a kind priest/principal Father McEnroe (Ernesto Malbran) and the rich to middle class uniformed boys include one 'strawberry faced', quiet, chubby Gonzalo Infante (Matías Quer) whose family is of means but has issues of covert infidelity with the mother (Aline Küppenheim) and father (Francisco Reyes). The Allende government is shaky, and in an attempt to appease the poor class, Saint Patrick's School takes on students from the shantytowns to 'democratize' education. Among these new students is Pedro Machuca (Ariel Mateluna) who seems to be a loner but soon becomes the brunt of the rich kids' prejudice. Gonzalo befriends Pedro and gradually the two form a strong bond which leads to each of the boys learning about their separate families and life styles: Gonzalo's life of luxury dazzles Pedro while Pedro's humble shack houses warm family that Gonzalo envies. The friendship leads to a close examination of the schism of racism and political clashes brought into sharp focus as the military coup changes everything. Only friendship remains intact in a dramatically tested fashion.Andrés Woods marries the political and the human aspects of this chaotic time in Chile and offers us insights into the ongoing changing governments of South America. His script (which he wrote with Eliseo Altunaga, Roberto Brodsky and Mamoun Hassan) is spare leaving space for much of the story to be told by observing the interaction of his two main characters with their associates. The result is a deeply moving film, an opportunity to observe the tenuous times of a period most of us barely understand. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp