Czech and See Che: Four hours well spent

Benicio Del Toro is a great actor by any measure, but as I sat in the theater Saturday night I didn’t think to myself “Why, that Benicio is giving a great performance.” Del Toro WAS Ernesto Che Guevara and I didn’t mind spending four and a half hours watching him help overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista or attempting to lead a similar revolution in Bolivia. The movie is split into two parts: The Argentine and Guerrilla. If you hear four hour long movie and get scared just think you are really seeing two movies, two excellent, well made, and riveting movies at that. Che is most certainly a controversial figure, who many either love or despise. This film doesn’t set out to make you do either. It is based in part on Che’s own journals, Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War and Bolivian Diary. The film is very present oriented. It doesn’t bother filling in the viewer with details of what Che’s life consisted of during the period before the time frame in which the film takes place or the time in between which the two parts of the movie occur. The film focuses on present events within in contents of the film and on Che’s current goals. If we learn anything from this film it’s that Guevara was a determined, goal orientated man.
The soundtrack, which incorporates Cuban, Argentinean, and Bolivian sounds, is lovely. I highly recommend you go Czech out this film. The two parts are being presented back two back as a special roadside screeni ng at The Magnolia Theater in Dallas with screenings at 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm. At the screening you receive a special Roadside Edition guide, so don’t be afraid of the weather and go see it!

-Yvonne

PS: Keep a lookout for Lou Diamond Phillips who has a small role in the second part of the film as a Bolivian communist party leader. Another Latino role. Oh Lou! Will ever get to play a Filipino character?