60-second cinema

8 out of 10 An interesting biopic, looking into the formative years of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna — or ‘Che’ to you and me — The Motorcycle Diaries follows said revolutionary on a road trip around South America with his friend, Alberto Granado. The hardships of the people they encounter, and the injustices they suffer, give a new perspective that will later change Che’s life forever. The whole film is beautifully shot and, as you’d expect, paints a sympathetic portrait of a man I’d previously only encountered on students’ posters. Enjoyable and educational. :) Incidentally, in the new year, the Tyneside Cinema is showing part one of a two-part series of films on the later life of Che Guevara, with the second part coming in February. Suspect I’ll be checking them out too...