Che
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, Lou Diamond Phillips
Dir: Steven Soderbergh
Rating: 4/5
Biopic pictures really are the in thing with Hollywood at the moment, probably they seem to mop up academy Award nominations as well as the gongs themselves. So Che was the one of the first to grace the big screen early in 2009.
Che really has been a labour of love for filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and coming in at over four hours long had to be split into two movies.
November 26, 1956; led by Fidel Castro (Demian Bichir), a band of 80 rebels sails to Cuba. Among these young rebels is Argentine physician, Marxist, soldier, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro).
Nation-less, strapped for resources and fuelled only by determination, the group engages in swift, bloody battle to free the Cuban people from the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che and his soldiers wrestle the nation's resources and affection from Batista's grasp.
Though considered a hero by some, Che becomes a hugely controversial figure. At the height of his fame and power, he disappears.
Entering South America incognito, Che recruits another band of guerrilla fighters in the harsh Bolivian jungles. They embark upon a mission to spark revolution throughout Latin America.
Che is a fascinating character study of this revolutionary figure who gave up his comfortable live in Cuba to go and fight in the jungles of Bolivia.
Benicio Del Toro turns in an outstanding performance as the quiet man whose political exploits defined his life. And De Toro’s performance is supported by some great black and white footage of Guevara himself.
It’s a very controlled performance from the Oscar winner as the different aspects of his character; the guerrilla leader, the doctor and the man willing to suffer for his beliefs are all brought together.
However away from Del Toro’s role Soderburgh doesn’t really flesh out the characters around Guevara and at times it does feel like a one man show.
But Che really is a beautiful movie that blends war with politics as well as exploring the man behind the famous world figure. However, as so many other biopic movies do, Che doesn’t tell you everything about Guevara but leaves you inspired to go and discover more about this man.
The biopic picture has been a favourite with the Academy for a couple of years now with performances from Reese Witherspoon, Jamie Foxx, Sean Penn and Helen Mirren all picking up top honours yet this time around Che went without a single nod.
However and four hours twenty minutes Che is a very long movie, and this could prove problematic for many and may be why it didn’t receive the attention and the credit that so deserved.
Steven Soderbergh’s Che is a beautiful movie and one of the best biopic movies that have graced the big screen in recent years. But it’s Del Toro’s performance that really is the focus point of the film and deserved much more credit and recognition than it received.
Che Part 1& 2 are out now on DVD
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Benicio Del Toro