The Best Film of 2008: Che

I love this film. It runs at 4+ hours, and I never felt bored, I never checked the time on my cell phone, it never felt tedious, and I was simply overwhelmed by the epic feel of this extraordinary achievement. It has a perfectly subtle, and Oscar worthy performance by Benicio Del Toro. He never goes over the top, and always captivates the audience with his charisma, and presence. He conveys so much emotional depth, and what he does in this film, is basically what Marlon Brando and Robert Deniro use to do in their primes. He acts with his eyes, hands, body, and voice. It is probably the best male performance of 08, and it is criminally underrated.

Here's the synopsis

Che is a two part epic character study by Steven Soderbergh. The first part focuses on Che's involvement with the Cuban revolution and his partnership with Fidel Castro. The second part focuses on Che's futile attempt at revolution in Bolivia, and his demise.

Now I'll admit that sitting in a movie theater for 4 hours or more is pretty exhausting, but it doesn't help that a film like this can be so emotionally exhausting. I was truly struck by the emotional depth of this film. And while Steven Soderbergh does apply a lot of dialogue, and great characterization for Che. He also relies mostly on sound, visuals, and imagery. Some of the most gorgeous scenes, were the scenes with absolutely no dialogue, and had very somber music.

What Soderbergh does here, is what made him so great with films like "Traffic", and "Solaris." The man knows how to create an engrossing, and an almost hypnotic experience, when he is at his best. The film does follow some conventions, but it goes against the norm, by being an emotion, instead of just a plain old story. It's more artistic, then entertaining. I also feel that Soderbergh is one of the best directors who know how to use the shaky cam.

Many directors use that thing, and give me a headache. But Steven does it in a way that feels economic, and almost cerebral at times. He doesn't shake it too much, and he allows the audience to see what is going on. Even during the chaotic battle scenes, you know what is going on, and there is not too many quick cuts at all. The editing is tight, and paced very well.

And when the camera starts to shake a lot, it gives us some psychological insight into what was going through Che's mind during his final battle in Bolivia. It's madness, and the film shows us that his journey was not only a test of endurance, but a spiritual journey as well. But the best thing about this gem is the ambivalence that is given to Che. If you had a lot of questions about Che before seeing this film, then you'll leave it with very few answers. Why?? Because there is no definite answer to a character like this.

Even when you read about the man on Wikipedia or some other reliable source, you don't REALLY know who he actually was. Like many of us, he was extremely complex, and had different sides to him. And like most of us, he seemed to have a bit of everything. He was good, he was evil, he was a hero, he was a murderer, he was an executioner, a leader, and a healer. One thing is for sure, Che Guevara is an inspirational, flawed, and highly controversial figure to this day.

Nobody will ever agree on who, or what he was. Overall, I give this masterful film a 9.5/10. It is the best film of 2008. And it might be Soderbergh's best, and most spiritual work to date. I love this film, and I can't wait to own it on DVD. Some scenes were so gorgeous, that only my X-Box 360 could do it justice.