I can't believe it passes the Bechdel test, but somehow it does. The storytelling is great, and the performances are also remarkable. It does subvert some tropes and I was glad about at, mainly the fact that the housekeepers turned out to be real characters that did stuff for the plot instead of just filler. Héctor Noguera did an amazing job in this and he's definitely the most memorable one in this. It made great progress for the time in showing homosexuality, but they were still too afraid to give the gay character a love story when he was a big part of the story (come on, it's a telenovela! Give the guy some romance for his sake). The worst thing about this telenovela is getting to the point where you realize all of the men in the family will get happy endings that they do not deserve, even when a few of them are decidedly the villains of the story and have gone in no journey to learn from their mistakes and earn a decent everafter. Overall, it's a very interesting essay on masculinity and it laid out conversations that need to be had. It was the first non-Sabatini Chilean telenovela that I watched, so it was refreshing and interesting to see that it had a plot that advanced as you kept watching (as one would hope it does).
5 Reviews
Realistically full of men with unwarranted happy endings, but still great
gonzalogpf19 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
A critic of the Chilean (and Latin-american) moral
JJCH8 November 2003
Machos is one of the best Chilean telenovelas I've ever seen. Produced by the television company of the Catholic University of Chile (Channel 13), an important "teleseries" producer since 1981, but that in 2001 has stopped the production on account of bad ratings. Machos, with this high ratings (more than 60 points in the last episode) and social impact, saves "Canal 13" from a practically imminent bankruptcy.
It was really stunning to see themes like homosexuality, infidelity and incesto in the before conservative Canal 13. The patriarca of the Mercader family, Don Angel, is a realistic example of the machismo in the old Chilean men; and his wife, Valentina, represents the typical pressed women who deals his sons like children although they have more than 30 years old, and ignores the infidelities and lies of its supposedly correct husband.
Each of the 7 Mercader brothers is delineated in a proud way, with their virtues and defects, without falling in the so own stereotypes of the typical Latin-american telenovelas. Ariel, the homosexual Mercader, returns from Spain to destabilize the traditionalist way of life of his family, and teach them that the subsidiary love does not have conditions. To the extent that elapse the episodes, each brother will goes realizing that its father is not perfect and, after rough secrets be discovered, they will begin to face Angel, who is not another thing that the representation of the old conservative, hypocritical and moralistic order, that, little by little, goes remaining behind, increasingly diminished, in the Chilean society.
It was really stunning to see themes like homosexuality, infidelity and incesto in the before conservative Canal 13. The patriarca of the Mercader family, Don Angel, is a realistic example of the machismo in the old Chilean men; and his wife, Valentina, represents the typical pressed women who deals his sons like children although they have more than 30 years old, and ignores the infidelities and lies of its supposedly correct husband.
Each of the 7 Mercader brothers is delineated in a proud way, with their virtues and defects, without falling in the so own stereotypes of the typical Latin-american telenovelas. Ariel, the homosexual Mercader, returns from Spain to destabilize the traditionalist way of life of his family, and teach them that the subsidiary love does not have conditions. To the extent that elapse the episodes, each brother will goes realizing that its father is not perfect and, after rough secrets be discovered, they will begin to face Angel, who is not another thing that the representation of the old conservative, hypocritical and moralistic order, that, little by little, goes remaining behind, increasingly diminished, in the Chilean society.
Eh...
ilikechickentacos16 September 2005
The show is pretty formulaic and over-the-top. But heck, you could say that about MOST Latin American soap operas. I will admit that it does break the mold in several ways, and I do know from first-hand experience that it really resonated with the Chilean public (at least in Santiago, where I was living).
Among various 'telenovela' stereotypes, the strongest one is the fact that the family is obscenely rich. I never understood why a Chilean living in a hovel in La Pintana would care so much about people who lived, even by U.S. standards, in an extremely opulent palatial home. The problems are largely superficial and cookie-cutter. Just like any other telenovela you'll find in Latin America, there's music pirated from U.S. movies, extreme close-ups, and overly dramatic, theatrical acting that doesn't suit television.
I do believe that Chile will be the first to break the Latin-American teleseries mold.
Among various 'telenovela' stereotypes, the strongest one is the fact that the family is obscenely rich. I never understood why a Chilean living in a hovel in La Pintana would care so much about people who lived, even by U.S. standards, in an extremely opulent palatial home. The problems are largely superficial and cookie-cutter. Just like any other telenovela you'll find in Latin America, there's music pirated from U.S. movies, extreme close-ups, and overly dramatic, theatrical acting that doesn't suit television.
I do believe that Chile will be the first to break the Latin-American teleseries mold.
At 10 years of Machos
Sekho6 May 2013
10 years ago which aired the first episode of "Machos" series that revolutionized throughout Chile, and I must say that since then no other Chilean TV series made me to like as much as this one.
A great cast as not seen today in the Chilean series, with more than 50 actors, the mixture between them was very good, some stable of Channel 13, others from Mega, others come from its direct competition (TVN ), some beginners, and others who had no work on television for quite some time. Emphasize the performance of Héctor Noguera (Ángel), the "return" of the great Carolina Arregui (Sonia) and the great revelation to me that year Carolina Varleta (Kiara).
The Mercaders family life is still remembered in Chile, and that's because the show is very well done, addresses many issues that to this day are contingent, and not for nothing that this year returns the romantic couple Adán and Fernanda after 10 years, but this time in the night series of TVN: "Socias".
Too bad that after 2006, channel 13 has not been repeated, I should do a tribute after these 10 years!
My note: obviously 10 stars.
A great cast as not seen today in the Chilean series, with more than 50 actors, the mixture between them was very good, some stable of Channel 13, others from Mega, others come from its direct competition (TVN ), some beginners, and others who had no work on television for quite some time. Emphasize the performance of Héctor Noguera (Ángel), the "return" of the great Carolina Arregui (Sonia) and the great revelation to me that year Carolina Varleta (Kiara).
The Mercaders family life is still remembered in Chile, and that's because the show is very well done, addresses many issues that to this day are contingent, and not for nothing that this year returns the romantic couple Adán and Fernanda after 10 years, but this time in the night series of TVN: "Socias".
Too bad that after 2006, channel 13 has not been repeated, I should do a tribute after these 10 years!
My note: obviously 10 stars.
Machos
rinaldoc15 August 2006
I watch this series from the beginning, it has 151 episodes (so i discovered on a website). It's all about a wealthy family, starring a father and mother and their 7 sons. What a coincidence is that all names of the sons are starring with the letter A, from oldest to youngest (Alonso, Armando, Ariel, Alex, Adan, Amaro and Antonio). Son Armando has a son, a boy i think 6 years old and he name's is also ... yes with a capital A ... Andresito. I don't know why I began to watch this series, from the first moment the characters were interesting and i am still watching the series. It's all about trust, romance, sometimes also humor and drama. All the sons are different and they have their own life. My favorite character is Aleks. He fools around with every girl he sees and has no respect, only when it's turn out for advantage form him. I don't like series / soaps at all, but this one is still keeping me attention to watch.
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