The film I was most excited to see this film festival was CHE. I screamed with joy when I found out I was sure to get all of my first picks for the festival, because I knew CHE was going to be the hardest film to get, and boy was it crowded in that theatre Friday morning. Che is split into two films, the first is 2 hours and 11 minutes and the second is also 2 hours and 11 minutes (fancy that). Friday morning I arrived to the Ryerson theatre with the knowledge that I would be there for over 4 hours. Thankfully they gave us an intermission, not that I went anywhere for the break, but my eyes needed a rest.
Part 1 - Guerrilla, it was SUPER FANTASTICALLY AWESOME. Why the critics aren't that favourable to it I have no idea. Every moment was exquisite. The film is shown in colour and black and white, flipping back and forth from the revolution in Cuba and a trip to NY where he is speaking at the UN and being interviewed by someone like Barbara Walters. The interplay between how Ernesto GHE Guevara grows from a doctor with true beliefs in the cause to the 'Guerilla' master who helps to create hospitals, schools and becomes the icon of Cuba, and the CHE who is the toast of NY, meets Senator McCarthy, speaks passionately at the UN with the support of many S. American countries is a very effective way to show his story. I don't know how much of the film is based on truth, I choose to believe its more true then not (I'm aware that's very naive) but CHE really seems like an amazing person that totally deserves the icon status he's reached.
Part II - The Argentine was enjoyable but it didn't have the same heart as the first part of the film. I think because Guerrilla has the two aspects to its story, along with a very hopeful ending, and the Argentine is about Che's failure to bring the revolution he so believes in to the rest of the peasants of South America. Che's one request when helping Fidel Castro bring Communism to Cuba was that the revolution should not stop in Cuba but should be brought to all of South America's disenfranchised people. The fall of Che is an incredible story, and his heart is always in the right place, seemingly, but the people of Bolivia don't believe in his cause, especially because he's an outsider. America wants to make sure Communism stops at Cuba so they mobilize a force and propaganda quickly and effectively in Bolivia which makes Che's cause dead before it even gets off the ground.
So ya, Che, worth every moment. In my opinion anyway.
I also had 2 other films on Day 8. White Night Wedding was a fabulous Icelandic film, a modern take on a Chekhov play. A man is married to a woman seems to have schizophrenia or depression. Their relationship is not going very well and the man strays outside his marriage with a much younger woman. Unfortunately the husband and wife just moved back to a very small island in the Arctic ocean, so small no cars are allowed on the island, and its so far north that they have the 24 hour sun in the summer. Everyone knows everyone else's business on the island. When his wife dies under mysterious circumstances, the husband starts dating and plans to marry the younger woman, everyone get involved in his life. Though my description doesn't sound like it, the film is comedic. Its really cool seeing Iceland in the summer with constant sunlight. I really had a good time watching White Night Wedding.
The 3rd film, well, it was an Indian film that had heart but it was pretty silly, I couldn't really take it so I left early....I think that means I shouldn't mention the title or talk about the film too much so I won't influence you in any way (you probably won't have a chance to see the film, but just in case...)
And that my blog readers is my film festival experience for 2008!
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