In Contention

‘Che’

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9 responses to “‘Che’”

  1. […] sideartindy.jpg. “Australia” · “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” · “Defiance” · “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” · “Revolutionary Road” Read more […]

  2. Jamieson Avatar
    Jamieson

    Can’t wait to see it next Friday.

  3. Ivan Avatar
    Ivan

    Mr. Del Toro should earn an oscar nomination for his tour de force performance.
    Last year he was robbed (Things We Lost in the Fire)

    A great year for male performances/
    Michael Fassbender
    Richard Jenkins
    Robert Downey Jr.
    Mickey Rourke
    Benicio Del Toro
    Sean Penn
    Leonardo DiCaprio
    Josh Brolin
    Dev Patel
    Heath Ledger
    Michael Shannon
    Eddie Marsan
    James Franco
    Bill Irwin
    Phillip Seymour Hoffman

  4. Jonathan Spuij Avatar

    I certainly hope it will show up at the Rotterdam Film Festival but I don’t think it will.

  5. John Foote Avatar

    Saw it at TIFF and have been very vocal that it is brilliant with a stunning, and I mean stunning Del Toro performance. Try and see the definitive four and a half hour version, worth every minute.

  6. Guy Lodge Avatar

    I disagree that the four-hour-plus version is “definitive,” John. It was always intended to be two films, and I think it works better that way — each one has its own distinct tonal and structural properties.

  7. Scott Ward Avatar
    Scott Ward

    This film, or films rather, had all of the makings to be a superb classic: great director, great actor, and interesting life it’s covering. Very surprised this one didn’t amount to garnering a lot of awards attention.

    But with that said, just because a film doesn’t get Oscar attention doesn’t mean it isn’t great, so I still can’t wait to see it.

    And just curious, to anyone who has seen it, can you conjure up a guess as to why this movie isn’t receiving any attention from the Academy. I’d appreciate your thoughts.

  8. Guy Lodge Avatar

    Scott: Basically, aside from all the mixed press and confusion over the release pattern, I think it won’t play to the Academy because it employs such a rambling, unconventional structure — the second half, in particular, is more a mood piece than a narrative.

    It’s more interested in the accumulation of daily routine than in grand dramatic incidents, and I think a lot of Academy members won’t have the patience to sit through it.

    I personally found the film fascinating but flawed. And while Del Toro is superb, it’s a very quiet, low-key performance — not the kind of showy, grandstanding biopic turn the Academy frequently goes nuts for.

  9. John Foote Avatar

    Guy, obviously we disagree, but let me state further my case — the four and a half hour version allowed the audience to sucked into his life, into his story and see how his life as a revolutionary evolved — there was a definite change in texture to the films after the intermission, as the first hurtled towards a strong conclusion while the second moves mehtodically towards death — in my opinion, the only way to see it is to see it as a four and a half hour film, and in fairness I did not have the chance to see it otherwise, I likely will not. An extraordinary achievement. I agree with you about Del Toro, very low key, it’s all in the eyes.