The Motorcycle Diaries is a film that tells the story of a young Che Guevara and his friend, Alberto, when they decided to womanise and bluff their way across South America on an old motorcycle. The story follows the common 'road movie' structure, with our hero's travelling and meeting various characters etc. However, there's also a strong documentary element in the film, and it seems keen to give us something of a history lesson about South America and the state of it's locals, which will either enlighten you or get on your nerves, depending on the sort of person you are. The film's method of story telling is efficient as it stays on track and doesn't go off in all different directions. However, this also works against the film because it becomes monotonous rather quickly, and it falls apart almost completely when it reaches it's rather lacklustre final. Still, realistic performances and an obvious good heart always ensure that the film remains interesting and even in it's final third, the motorbike never completely stops running.
As mentioned, the acting in this movie is something to admire. It's so realistic that if anyone told you that anyone in this movie wasn't actually the character that they're playing on screen, you wouldn't believe them. This sort of realism isn't captured often, but The Motorcycle Diaries does it effortlessly. The artistic merit of the movie is benefited immensely by the truly stunning location shots, and it is more than evident that director Walter Salles is keen to get the beauty of South America across to his viewers, and make the contrast between the state of the peoples' lives and the picturesque areas that surround them. However, because this film follows a period of Che Guevara's life that occurred before he would go on to find fame, I got the impression that I would rather have been watching a film about his later days. On the whole, The Motorcycle Diaries is a nice movie and I'm not surprised at the strong critical reaction it's getting. However, I didn't find it stimulating enough and the final third lets it down.
As mentioned, the acting in this movie is something to admire. It's so realistic that if anyone told you that anyone in this movie wasn't actually the character that they're playing on screen, you wouldn't believe them. This sort of realism isn't captured often, but The Motorcycle Diaries does it effortlessly. The artistic merit of the movie is benefited immensely by the truly stunning location shots, and it is more than evident that director Walter Salles is keen to get the beauty of South America across to his viewers, and make the contrast between the state of the peoples' lives and the picturesque areas that surround them. However, because this film follows a period of Che Guevara's life that occurred before he would go on to find fame, I got the impression that I would rather have been watching a film about his later days. On the whole, The Motorcycle Diaries is a nice movie and I'm not surprised at the strong critical reaction it's getting. However, I didn't find it stimulating enough and the final third lets it down.