Movie Review

The Motorcycle Diaries

This is a hard film for me to review. Part of me wants to give it a mediocre rating, but the other part of me views that as an ignorant move considering the message this story has in the end. For the first hour of The Motorcycle Diaries, I was bored, as I had failed to get emotionally invested in the story. It seemed to just tread along, not having much of a focus in what it wanted to be; and considering its reviews I was really disappointed at the lack of a punch within.

Then in the second hour it was easier to tolerate, yet I still wanted more out of it. It then occurred to me as I started to write this review that this storytelling approach might have actually been done for a reason: the characters want to define their lives, which, in reality, doesn?t always happen immediately. Regardless, I wasn?t entirely happy with Motorcycle Diaries, but I admired a few of its nuances, even if it took a good chunk of its duration to reach them.

The Motorcycle Diaries follows the journal of Che Guevara, who was the leader of the Cuban Revolution. 23-year old Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal) and friend Alberto (Rodrigo De la Serna) bike across South America in the early 1950?s, as they?re both doctors who seek a fun and insightful trip before they graduate college, on the their way to a leper colony for work. In the first half of their adventures, the two experience the freedom of the open road, and also try to pick up young women for a good time; their motorcycle also keeps having problems, creating a hardship to overcome.

What can annoy me about some foreign films is that the stories can start up on a certain page, and you?re forced to keep waiting and waiting to really get to know (or like) the characters. Sometimes the characters grow on you over time instead of finding a connection with you early on (and sometimes they don't). This tactic doesn?t always work with me, as I generally like to know who the characters are right away, even if it takes the entire first act to plant most of the seeds. Otherwise, it can be difficult to care about the plot points that develop up until the section of which the characters are fully realized.

For a good distance in the film, I didn?t know Guevara all that well (and I didn?t care to yet), and I really didn?t like the comedic sidekick, Alberto. The comic relief, which is mostly sexual in nature, felt broad, and is in an angle that I don?t find amusing (I like some brands of sexual humor, but here it?s more like younger, perverted talk). However, the audience at this screening was entertained by the humor, so I could be a minority.

The other half of this story revolves around the two guys getting closer to their destination, and in the process, Guevara starts to learn about life conditions out in the world; they step into the perimeters of other cultures, most in poverty and despair. And it was at this point in the story where its tone and message was beginning to gradually work on me: anybody who steps out of their box and goes somewhere completely different is bound to learn ?something.?

But what aggravated me about the film is how long it took to reach some of these important notes. It goes along for a while on a very loose story and very little in that stretch is pivotal information. Some could say that this film depicts exactly what might happen on such a trip, and thus, that is the point of its pacing. But perhaps the problem is that I simply wasn?t a big fan of these characters off the bat, thus creating a wall between us for a good chunk of time; personal connection can be key, and if you?re not sucked in, you may stumble.

All throughout, director Walter Salles does a fine job, as the acting, cinematography, and soundtrack are well handled, but the script is where the production fumbles. For me, the story is very crucial in any film; if that element isn?t in gear I?ll probably find the movie mediocre. Even if the acting is pretty good and the director evidently knew what he was doing, it usually comes down to the story and its universal appeal; and sometimes I was more intrigued by this film?s music and visuals than I was with the premise. Salles? final sequences are also hard to forget, with their deep subtext, but I then pondered why the rest of the film wasn?t so irresistible.

The experience of seeing The Motorcycle Diaries mirrored that of seeing Cold Mountain (C+), except this time I was somewhat ?into? the story at some point. Cold Mountain starts off more like a mainstream film, delivering the point right away, which is what I tend to like. My problem with that film was that I craved emotional attachment to the characters before and after that plot point was delivered, and I never made a true connection.

Motorcycle Diaries takes longer to get to the point, as we observe our two guys just being themselves. I tolerated Alberto after the first hour, but it still did not fully make up for how annoying I had found him previously; much like one of the themes to this story, things change, and so does he. Guevara is an easy figure to relate to after a while (his dream of finding purpose and questioning life), and in the third act I was finally getting to be on the same page as he.

Perhaps the first hour of the film provides a balance for the audience, handing over light material before diving into the dark, meaty issues. Some people are going to be taken in by this approach, but I?m also not intimidated when stories start out dark and intense right away, and I actually really like it when that?s executed properly. Some people feel uncomfortable with such a tactic, and so this film will probably please many in that regard.

In the end, The Motorcycle Diaries has its focus in the right direction, but I would?ve really liked to see more of an intimate study all throughout its premise. But considering its ambition is too sophisticated for me to really dare give this film a mediocre review (when compared to some of the other movies I?ve given a C+ to), I'll give a thumbs up, but only mildly so. If I had to sit through this film again it would be a real pain, but sometimes films offer details or touches that are enough for a reasonable rating, and Motorcycle Diaries offers just that.

Lee's Grade: B-

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%