Re: Che
I managed to see the full four and a half hour version (not including intermission) that's screening here at the AMC at Yonge and Dundas and I'm not really sure what to think of it. The first half of the film is an interesting depiction of the Cuban revolution, but it doesn't really allow you to know who Che actually was, and Castro seems almost like a footnote. The second half is a bit more subtle - it shows the failure of his attempts to stir a revolution in Bolivia, when the populace seems indifferent or preoccupied with maintaining their status quo. I'm not sure if Soderbergh is trying to make a statement about present society or not, much less what the point of making this movie is.
It's not for everyone, and people expecting a JFK or W, Oliver Stone kind of biographical film are going to be sorely disappointed. I'm not sure how much I liked it, as I wasn't really certain if I had watched a straight ahead recreation of two important parts of Che's revolutionary career, or if I was watching a historical art film. Benecio del Toro is great as Che, I can't imagine someone else playing him or looking the part. But I felt that the film The Motorcycle Diaries was something that allowed a lot more insight into who he was, and was far more accessable.