La Máquina

The show tries to be many things. All of which would've made a compelling show had they fleshed them out, or at least just focused on one. The writing fails to turn Diego Luna into the Saul Goodman character they want him to be. The prosthetics are incredibly distracting and add nothing to the story. Gael Garcia sleepwalks through the entirety of his performance. The reporter aspect of the story lacks depth. The show wants to create a sense of tension, but one is never invested in the characters enough to care, and even if somehow you were able achieve the feat of caring about them, the writing does not create the sense of frenzy a show like this requires to build tension.

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.

"La Maquina" is a masterful series that highlights the remarkable talents of Mexican actors Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, and Eiza Gonzalez, who are making significant waves in Hollywood. Gael Garcia Bernal delivers a powerful performance as Esteban, an aging boxer seeking redemption, while Diego Luna shines as his shrewd manager, Andy. Eiza Gonzalez captivates as Irasema, adding depth to the narrative. The series is skillfully directed by Gabriel Ripstein, whose vision brings a unique blend of drama and intrigue to the screen. Lucia Mendez's special appearance adds elegance and gravitas, making "La Maquina" a standout production.

The stories of boxers are very worn out, this production does not stand out with anything new, it is more of the old, the strength that the tragic life of a boxer requires is not seen on the screen, it looks stiff and does not embody the essence of what a boxer lives, it is approached superficially.

On the other hand, the story does not contain those twists that catch the viewer, from the beginning you know what the script is about. The absence of drama is evident. The protagonists appear overacted and the conflicts are simple and lack the rough edges that real life presents... If you have nothing better to do you could watch this TV series.

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.