Plot
In 1956, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and a band of Castro-led Cuban exiles mobilize an army to topple the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Release Year: 2008
Rating: 7.2/10 (19,260 voted)
Director:
Steven Soderbergh
Stars: Julia Ormond, Benicio Del Toro, Oscar Isaac
Storyline The Argentine, begins as Che and a band of Cuban exiles (led by Fidel Castro) reach the Cuban shore from Mexico in 1956. Within two years, they mobilized popular support and an army and toppled the U.S.-friendly regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Writers: Peter Buchman, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara
Cast: Julia Ormond
-
Lisa Howard
Benicio Del Toro
-
Ernesto Che Guevara
Oscar Isaac
-
Interpreter
(as Óscar Isaac)
Pablo Guevara
-
Dinner Guest #1
Franklin Díaz
-
Dinner Guest #2
Armando Suárez Cobián
-
Dinner Guest #3
Rodrigo Santoro
-
Raúl Castro
María Isabel Díaz
-
María Antonia
Demián Bichir
-
Fidel Castro
Mateo Gómez
-
Cuban Diplomat #1
Ramon Fernandez
-
Héctor
(as Ramón Fernández)
Yul Vazquez
-
Alejandro Ramírez
(as Yul Vázquez)
Jose Caro
-
Esteban
(as José Caro)
Pedro Adorno
-
Epifanío Díaz
Jsu Garcia
-
Jorge Sotús
(as Jsu García)
Opening Weekend: $61,070
(USA)
(14 December 2008)
(2 Screens)
Gross: $1,731,665
(USA)
(17 May 2009)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
For his role, Benicio Del Toro spent seven years researching Guevara's life.
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible:
When Che is outlining his conditions to the UN, one of the cutaways shows some soldiers crossing a muddy river. During the scene, a crew member in contemporary clothing can be seen standing on a grassy bank to the left of the frame.
Quotes: Ernesto Che Guevara:
Ours is a fight to the death.
User Review
Hard, Gritty and To the Point But Not In the Way You Expect
Rating: 9/10
Che: Part One felt very complete and fulfilling. I found myself looking
at Ernesto "Che" Guevara as a very well rounded person. Not as an
ideological self fulfilling man but as an articulate man with thought
out rational decisions as well as a man with many useful talents.
The acting of the cast all around was very good but Benicio Del Toro
took the movie by storm but he did this in a very subtle way. His
performance displayed how Che's spirit was able to superseded the
hardships faced in the Cuban Revolution. It did not display any
brutality or recklessness but a devotion to a cause. Del Toro's
perforations was that worthy of an Oscar nomination but I don't think
Che Guervara cared to much about awards.
The directing by Steven Soderbergh was visually stunning at times with
much of the scenes shot in the forest. What kept the movie upbeat
though were the scenes of Che in New York giving interviews and
addressing the U.N. It added an extra layer to the film allowing you to
see another side of Che. The side in which he shows his political and
speaking abilities. The writing was very good with the dialog always
keeping you engrossed. The music, though not much of it, was very good
and stayed within rhythm of the rest of the film.
Overall the film succeeds in showing Che as a well rounded man never
developing into oversimplified or unnecessarily complex portrayal of a
man. The movie was very accurate and refused to take on a role of being
inspiring or Hollywoodish which I enjoyed. The only problem with the
film I had was that it seems to have a little too much of a feel of a
war film rather than a biopic. Still I highly recommend this film.
0