Che What?

Steven Soderbergh's allegedly troubled two-part production Che will be opening in LA soon to qualify for the Oscars. If it's as bad as Todd McCarthy suggested in Variety, it'll need some awards to get anyone to come.

Here's how it's described at the Landmark Theatre website:

Director Steven Soderbergh's two-part epic about the life of Ernesto "Che" Guevara stars Benicio Del Toro (Best Actor, 2008 Cannes Film Festival) in a tour de force performance as the legendary revolutionary. Part I, "The Argentine," shows how Che proved to be an indispensible fighter, along with Fidel Castro, in the overthrow of the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. As he throws himself into the struggle, Che is embraced by his comrades and the Cuban people. Che rises to prominence in the Cuban Revolution, from doctor to commander to revolutionary hero. Part II, "Guerrilla," shows Che at the height of his fame and power. Then he disappears, re-emerging incognito in Bolivia, where he organizes a small group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits to start the great Latin American Revolution. The story of the Bolivian campaign is a tale of tenacity, sacrifice, idealism, and of guerrilla warfare that ultimately fails, bringing Che to his death. Through this story, we come to understand how Che remains a symbol of idealism and heroism that lives in the hearts of people around the world.

Guevara, for all his ideals, was a killer who would have seen quite a few more die if he'd had his way. Freedom and life itself was to be sacrified in his quest to create the "new man." Ultimately, he brought misery to millions and left the world a worse place.

Steven Soderbergh is a talented filmmaker, and I'm sure his epic is better than its promotional material. Still, if it ends up being a movie that spends over four hours lionizing the man, who needs it?