Che (Part One) Movie Reviews and Film Preview
- Details
- Category: Reviews
- Published: Wednesday, 07 January 2009 16:49
- Written by Lupe Haas
Steven Soderbergh directs the first part of a two part movie starring Benicio Del Toro as Ernesto "Che" Guevara. the Argentine doctor who joined Fidel Castro's revolution in 1956 Cuba.
Release Date: January 9, 2008 (limited)
Movie Review
After a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Traffic, Benicio Del Toro failed to take on any roles worthy of his talent until now. In Che, his turn as the charismatic leader in the Cuban Revolution was a role Del Toro was born to play. His usual low mumbling, unsure of himself voice is gone in the all Spanish-language film released in two parts. Why was Benicio Del Toro left off the best actor category during this award season? Perhaps the Spanish-language film was a factor.
In release now is the first two hours of the four-hour long film, which concentrates on Che and Fidel Castro’s incursion into Cuba through the island’s jungles. Del Toro takes charge as the soft-spoken Argentinean doctor who joined Fidel’s call to revolution on behalf of the poor and illiterate. Director Steven Soderbergh definitely romanticizes Che who has been immortalized on t-shirts and posters along with other revolutionary figures such as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. Che is portrayed as a very sympathetic, kind, and giving leader who suffered from asthma but we don’t see much of the negative side to Che that some Cubans claim. There is one instance where he orders the execution of his own men who commit murder of a peasant family but you still don’t fault his character for this act of violence because you like him so darn much. There were times when I wanted to join his revolution.
As Fidel Castro, actor Demián Bichir portrays the Cuban dictator’s mannerisms and speech so perfectly that it’s like watching the real deal. The acting ensemble is excellent and the attention to details from language, manners, and native dress are so remarkable for a director who doesn’t speak Spanish nor live in this culture.
I thoroughly liked this film, all four hours of it, which I initially dreaded watching in one sitting but much to my surprise, I enjoyed watching Benicio Del Toro’s masterful creation of Che and Soderbergh’s direction.
Che: Part One is currently in theaters and Che: Part Two is due out in late January, which covers Che’s unsuccessful revolution in Bolivia.