La Máquina

La Maquina was absolutely amazing. It's only 6 episodes long so it's an easy binge. Just a warning you're going to want to binge them all in one sitting so give yourself enough time to do that. The cast alone should make you want to watch this. It had 3 top of line actors in Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna and the incredibly beautiful Eiza Gonzalez. Bernal and Luna have worked together several times and you can see the chemistry the two have, this is probably their best work together and that's saying something. I wouldn't be surprised to see this win some awards come award season. It currently has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes so the critics love it as much as the audience does. I can't believe how few reviews there are. Most of it is in subtitles so that scares away some people. Don't let it though because this series is worth watching, subtitles or not. This series is a nail biter from the very first episode to the last so don't miss it.

Is this show a punching bag filled with fluff, or is it solid? ¡Qué lástima! This show is well cast, but it has problematic writing and there are a few large roadblocks. Every few scenes, the puffy lips of DL continue to change. It's understandable in a way because his character is addicted to tweaking his face. But his cosmetic alterations are distracting. Maybe he's supposed to be a cartoon? The production has an upbeat pace and intensity, which works for the most part, but when the two lead actors (GGB and DL) happen to be great friends in real life, it can sometimes work against them. In one scene, their rapport is snappy and slick, and it looks like they could rest on their laurels. Consequently, the supposed tension between their characters comes off as false. I wanted to like this series, but in the end I'm disappointed.

I just finished watching this with my brother and have to say that I enjoyed La Máquina even more than I expected to. I knew that I would probably like it going in because I'm a sucker for any movie/series that has to do with sports and because it has a fantastic cast. It stars Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal and Eliza Gonzalez. All great actors. It's about an aging boxing star named Esteban "La Máquina" Osuna (Bernal) and his shady manager, Andy (Luna), who gets him one last title shot despite his decline age and having memory problems. But in one of La Máquina first fights his manager made a deal for his opponent to throw the fight, unbeknownst to La Máquina. Now those same shady people who fixed that fight are back and threatening La Máquina to throw the biggest fight of his career. Every episode continues to build suspense to the point where you can't wait to watch the next episode.

The director is amazing, but the writers, are awesome. The fact that Diego and Gael are longtime friends make their dialogues truthful and crazy, at the same time. In real life, do they talk like that? We can wonder. There are scenes so beautifully filmed (in the carrousel), and then others, are just shocking (at the funeral). The premise of the show, that boxing is arranged by "them" is convincing, yeah. Honor mention to Eiza as the journalist/divorced-wife. Gael is not fit as a boxer, but you can believe he is a decaying one. Diego, under all that make-up, is amazing. You cannot miss this show in Spanish.

I highly recommend this show. Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal have great quemistry. This show is something between. A drama, comedy, thriller. The acting it is too notch. Also the music is amazing. The emotions are so real and so idonsincratic of the Mexican culture. The coach from Cuba is amazing. You can easily binge this show. I just paid my hulu subscription to watch this show and it was totally worth it. This is a real show not like tell me Lies which is a ridiculous show. If you have a Hulu subscription watch this show. Gael and Diego are the heart but all the supporting actors are incredible as well. Highly recommend.