Che: Part Two Reviews

The Part 2 of Steven Soderbergh’s biopic of Marxist revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara is about his failed attempt to incite a revolution in Bolivia. Part 2, originally titled ‘Guerilla,’ is vastly different from the first. This one depicts the fall of Guevara, as he slugs through the harsh Bolivian terrain and eventually gets captured. This one is not triumphant and uplifting as the first, it is downhill and depressing but that was historically expected. We all know of his triumphs and successes but ‘Guerilla’ helps paint a fuller portrait of the man he was. Soderbergh doesn’t take sides or attempt to show Guevara in any kind of a light. He tells it how it is. This movie is definitely not for the impatient and uninterested. It is unabashedly long and develops the story steadily. It is gritty and strenuous, just like Che’s struggle in Bolivia. Benicio Del Toro, who received the Best Actor award for his role at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, is tremendous and should win every award in the book. The rest of the characters do not stand out as they do in the first part, but the ensemble that includes Franka Potente, Catalina Sandino Moreno and even Matt Damon, is terrific. The Guerilla is a must watch for all.

A great tribute to the real hero. A must see movie. What a great legend. I wish he had lived a bit longer...he would have changed Bolivia for ever. Well before Evo!!!... Read more

The second film of the Che double feature is not as successful as the first (The Argentine). The period, indeed all the action has moved on to Guevara's failed attempt to replicate communist revolution in Bolivia. There are now no mediating... Read more

Or perhaps Charles Laughton? People are such suckers for image and looks - as much as for the intellectually hollow "idealism" that lurks behind Communism. I don't know what's worse: being captured by one of Che's murder-squads or having to sit... Read more

Ironically the most talked-about American film in the 2008 New York Film Festival is 98% in Spanish. The extra-long film's controversy began at the Cannes Festival. There were love-hate notices, and considerable doubts about commercial prospects. As consolation the star, Benicio... Read more

Everything that worked in the first film was thrown out for this one. As a result, the movie is actually pretty boring. We are given a detailed look into the frontlines as the insurgents wade through Bolivia trying to take out... Read more