The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Even without the subtext of Ernesto "Che" Guevara's political awakening, The Motorcycle Diaries would still be a rich road movie and vibrant window into the spirit of South America. Add in some of the pivotal episodes that spurred Guevara toward activism, and Walter Salles Jr.'s film seems darn close to a historical document. It should be noted that The Motorcycle Diaries is far from a sober outing -- it has a bawdy sense of humor, and its two protagonists engage in all manner of grifting and chicanery to remain on course. Guevara himself (played by Gael García Bernal) goes so far as to brazenly seduce the wife of the man who's fixing their motorcycle (fixing it for free, at that). Without scenes like this, it would be impossible to measure the profundity of his eventual growth, gradually earned while interviewing oppressed laborers and ministering to the sick in a leper colony. By journey's end, he's matured from a feckless youth into a future revolutionary, no longer blind to the world around him. By using a number of amateur actors and a nearly documentary-style format, Salles makes Guevara's interactions with peasants as realistic as possible. Gael García Bernal is an ideal choice to play Guevara, ranging effortlessly from delight to gravitas according to the vicissitudes of the character's experience. He also acts out one of the most claustrophobic and frightening asthma attacks ever captured on film. Rodrigo de la Serna delivers a key performance as the film's other major character, Guevara's traveling companion. Loyal yet almost casually amoral, de la Serna's Alberto Granado provides an important jumping-off point for the development of Guevara's fierce integrity. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide