Che: The Movie

Last night I went to a screening of the first half of Che, Steven Soderbergh's four-hour epic starring Benicio Del Toro. It opens in New York December 12 for a one-week run where you can see the entire movie in one sitting followed by separate showings of Part 1 and 2. I don't know how I would have done through the full four hours, but the first half held up well enough for me to want to see the rest. I can't express exactly why since little happens besides a series of battles cut with archival and new footage of Che's visit to New York to address the UN and interviews with media where he talks about his revolutionary philosophy. Credit must be given to Del Toro's riveting understated performance and Soderbergh's un-Hollywood approach to the material.