It's one of the best movies of the year, while at the same time being in many ways your basic road movie. A couple of friends (a med student and a biochemist) set off on a road adventure (they are planning on traveling by motorcycle from Buenos Aires to Chile and then on North through South America, with a stop planned in Peru to work at a leper colony). But as the trip winds on, they discover new things about the world and about themselves. Here and there it's too obvious and heavy-handed in how it shows the plight of the poor and oppressed and Che's reaction to their plight. But generally it's well-done. And as an added bonus, some of the scenery is beautiful. And no, I'm not talking about the shots of Gael Garcia Bernal (though I can't argue with Anthony Lane's description of Garcia Bernal - he's "preposterously pretty").
It may be too distant from the experiences of some viewers. Or perhaps it's that it's not ambitious on the terms that typically deeply affect American moviegoers. But on its own terms it's very, very good, and I really liked it.
Posted by armand at November 26, 2004 11:12 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Movies