One thing’s for certain: whether it’s a meditation on guerrilla warfare, on Che or on moviemaking itself, you’ve seen nothing like it and are unlikely to ever again.
Che (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:93
Fresh:58
Rotten:35
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Though lengthy and at times plodding, Soderbergh's vision and Benicio Del Toro's understated performance ensure that Che always fascinates.
Theatrical Release:20-02-2009
Synopsis: 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... 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 fueled 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 guerilla fighters in the harsh Bolivian jungles. They embark upon a mission to spark revolution throughout Latin America. --© IFC Films [More]
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Benjamin Bratt, Franka Potente, Lou Diamond Phillips
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Benjamin Bratt, Franka Potente, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kahlil Mendez, Julia Ormond, Edgar Ramirez, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Rodrigo Santoro
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Screenwriter: Peter Buchman, Benjamin A. van der Veen
Studio: IFC Films
Reviews for Che
The pity is [Soderbergh] was seduced by a sense of historical self-importance and forgot about his audience.
The film is a series of skirmishes, betrayals, confrontations and dislocations that Soderbergh directs with a matter-of-fact understatement and real cinematographic artistry. Even major action scenes feel eerily authentic, never like a big movie.
Great showcase for Benicio del Toro, of course, a wonderful actor who gives it his all. But Che, the T shirt hero of three generations, is a myth that so many today THINK Che stood for.
It is interesting. It is ambitious. It is well-assembled, and it is beautifully shot. And it is long -- so long, in fact, that Soderbergh broke his project into two parts.
Del Toro's performance is fine and there are many strong moments (including some wonderful black and white footage of Che in New York) but the parts are better than the whole.
Guevara is too fascinating an individual to be confined to a story that can fit on a bumper sticker.
There is precious little in these movies to fill out our understanding of what it was that made Che a rebel, a leader of men, and the repository of the romantic dreams of several generations of armchair revolutionaries
The title and length suggest a biographical epic, but it's neither biographical nor epic. It's as if the director, Steven Soderbergh, wanted to take tissue samples of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara's political life.
"Che" is a taut thriller, a fascinating character study, a pitiless black comedy, and one of the most singularly interesting biopics ever made.
A potentially great title-role performance by Benicio Del Toro, which won him the best actor award at Cannes, is buried beneath Soderbergh's stylistic tics and a defiant lack of dramatic tension.
Che offers a long look at a man who gave up comfort and power in Cuba for a lot of suffering in the wilds of Bolivia.
[E]xists as a matter of Guevara's perspective. Soderbergh and Del Toro -- this truly is a tour de force performance -- puts us so totally into his head that it's impossible not to sympathize with him.
Latest News for Che
January 20, 2009:
click for trailer and trailer review ![]()
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January 04, 2009:
Video Exclusive: Benicio del Toro talks Che and Wolf Man
Benicio Del Toro faced his greatest acting challenge when he took on the role of Ernesto "Che" Guevara for what would become a four-hour epic tale of the iconic revolutionary's... More...
December 09, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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December 08, 2008:
Roger Ebert Ranks 2008's 20 Best Films ![]()
December isn't even halfway over yet, and many of us have already had our fill of year-end lists -- but Roger Ebert's list of the 20 best films of 2008 is one worth making an... More...
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