This year New York Film Festival debuts some pretty impressive movies, one of them, namely is Steven Soderbergh’s epic triumph Che.
The film, which runs more than 4 hours, stars the incomparable Benicio Del Toro in the role of Ernesto "Che" Guevara that has already garnered him a Best Actor award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. 
Soderbergh says he was drawn to Che’s story because of the adventure aspect of it. And he truly captures that in this film, but more importantly, more than any other Che film, it nabs the complete essence of Guevara.
This uncanny portrayal of the revolutionary can be attributed to the extensive research that took about seven years to complete. With Del Toro, serving as producer along with Laura Bickford, and Soderbergh attached to the project since day one, this exemplifies the dedication in the finished film.
Although some might think the 4-hour, plus, film might be a tad too much dramatization, though really, the story is extremely captivating and intriguing.
The story is told completely through Che’s point of view, from the initial meeting with Fidel Castro in Mexico City, to the Batista takeover, which encompasses the first part of the film, to his crusade, and ultimately failure, of the Latin American revolution that occurred in Bolivia.
The extraordinary aspect of this film, and what gives Che’s his undeniable iconic status, is the humanitarian side, the connections he made with his soldiers, the Cuban people, the farm workers in Bolivia, and just about everyone he came in contact with.
The film boast an amazing cast that includes Mexican actor Demián Bichir (“Weeds”, Sexo, Pudor Y Lagrimas), as Fidel Castro, Victor Rasuk (Raising Victor Vargas), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), Rodrigo Santoro (“Lost”, 300) and even a special guest appearance by Matt Damon.
What makes this film incredibly insightful, aside from the detailed research, is Del Toro’s on point portrayal of Guevara that clearly expressed what Che stood for, from education to equality and to always fight for what is right. Those key aspects of Che gives him the recognition that he was more than a cultural symbol for freedom, but a human being that stood on the side of the people.
Clearly Del Toro will be in the running for an Oscar.
