Benicio Del Toro Promotes "Che" At Havana Screening

[IndianaGreen]

Benicio Del Toro Promotes "Che" At Havana Screening

HAVANA - Actor Benicio del Toro says protesters at the Miami screening of "Che" should have watched the film first.

Del Toro plays Argentine-born Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a hero of the Cuban revolution and global icon. He says the role was difficult and took a lot of time.

Cuban exiles protested the movie in Miami last week. Many opposed Guevara for executions of officials from Fulgencio Batista's government, which was toppled in 1959.

But del Toro says "a lot of the people protesting the movie hadn't seen it."

He spoke Saturday as about 1,500 people attended the screening of the movie by director Steven Soderbergh at a film festival in Havana.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/07/benicio-del-toro-promotes_n_149052.html

Movie trailer here:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/new-trailer-che-t96265/index.html?s=9b0f2afbeb0318bab44a80ac254f47f3&

[MikeNearMcChord]

1. I can't wait to see this movie, I like biopics.

[Forkboy]

2. Looking forward to seeing it.

With all the talk of del Toro's new Wolfman remake this one has slipped under the radar, but I'm more curious about seeing this flick.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Del Toro: To Interpret Che Made Me Respect Him More

Del Toro: To Interpret Che Made Me Respect Him More

Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro affirmed here that after interpreting Argentine-Cuban guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara increased his respect for him as historic figure and consistent man.

Havana--Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro affirmed here that after interpreting Argentine-Cuban guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara increased his respect for him as historic figure and consistent man.

The first time I heard talk about Che I was 11 years old in a song of the Rolling Stones. After I interpreted him I learned a lot, he stressed in a press conference at the Taganana Hall of the Hotel Nacional, venue of the 30th New Latin America Film Festival.

Del Toro expressed his desire that the film contributes to promote Che´s personality in the United States. It is very important to keep widening mental horizons, he said.

I also believe that from the government of new president Barack Obama, a dialogue can be established between both countries.

The Oscar laureate for Traffic (2001) described as sensational to have premiered in Cuba the films where it all began. Our dream, he said, was to finísh and screen it here. Now the cycle has closed.

Answering a question of how would the Argentine-Cuban guerrilla would think today, he said maybe he would be a different person.

We are living moments unthinkable for his time, he said. He put the example of an indigenous president governing Bolivia now and an Afro-American the United States.

http://www.juventudrebelde.co.cu/culture/2008-12-08/del-toro-to-interpret-che-made-me-respect-him-more/

[Whisp]

4. I knew Benicio is more than a pretty face.

will have to watch for this one.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Update: 'Che' film gets thumbs up in Cuba (CNN)

'Che' film gets thumbs up in Cuba

At 4 hours and 17 minutes, "Che" can test viewers' stamina. But that wasn't a problem in Havana.

It's a story Cubans know by heart. But this time, it's told by outsiders.

Catalina, a history professor who would give only her first name, was a tough critic.

"The movie is well-done. It has good intentions," she said. "But in my opinion, in the first part, the scenes in the jungle seemed a bit like a caricature."

Though some debated the details of this story they know so well, most -- like a young Guevara lookalike who identified himself only as Daniel -- were pleased.

"It has captured history to perfection," he said. "It has been well thought out and well-created."

Others, like student Susel Paraza, were torn about seeing their history told by others.

"What hurt me a little," she said, "is that it wasn't us, the Cubans, who thought to make a movie like this but instead a foreign director with foreign actors who have recreated this story very well."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/09/cuba.che.movie/index.html

[Whalestoe]

6. Truly a great film!

Just saw the 4+ hour Special Roadshow Edition yesterday with a friend.

[AllieB]

7. Benicio Del Toro was promoting 'Che' in Cambridge MA last night

We went to the screening and were very impressed with the film, especially the first part. Del Toro is very unassuming and answered questions and signed autographs for quite some time after the screening.