Fidel (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

David Attwood

Writer (WGA):

Stephen Tolkin (teleplay)

Release Date:

27 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

He fought for freedom. He settled for power.

Plot:

Fidel Castro rises to power in Cuba.

Plot Keywords:

Cuba | Fidel Castro | Cuban | One Word Title | Che Guevara

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Víctor Huggo Martin	...	Fidel Castro
Gael García Bernal	...	Che Guevara
Patricia Velasquez	...	Mirta
Cecilia Suárez	...	Celia Sanchez
Maurice Compte	...	Raul Castro
Margarita Rosa de Francisco	...	Naty Revuelta (as Margarita d'Francisco)
Enrique Arce	...	Rafael
José María Yazpik	...	Camilo Cienfuegos
Manuel Sevilla	...	Abel Santamaria
Alejandra Gollas	...	Haydeé Santamaría (as Alejandra Gollás)
Ernesto Godoy	...	Huber Matos
Guillermo Díaz	...	Universo Sanchez
Tony Plana	...	Gen. Fulgencio Battista
Mel Rodriguez	...	Calixto Morales
Bobby Plasencia	...	Faustino Perez

Runtime:

Brazil:151 min (video version) | USA:206 min | Argentina:206 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Dominican Republic

Company:

Showtime Networks

Trivia:

Gael García Bernal's close friend, actor Diego Luna, has a cameo in the film. He's seen for just a few seconds in the assault on the Moncada Barracks, where he's shot.

not bad for a tv movie

I was pleasantly surprised at this film. Given the anti-Cuban bias of most things we see in the media, I thought this movie did a decent job of presenting Cuban history from a neutral position. It explains why the Revolution was needed, why people supported Fidel, and what some of the challenges were after the Revolution (Bay of Pigs invasion, etc.) For people who know nothing about Cuban history, it gives a good overview and makes for a dramatic story. It relies too heavily at times on melodrama, and Gael García Bernal as Che is ridiculous. The Mexican actors who play the lead roles are ok in general, but there are times when it looks more like a soap opera than a film (not a coincidence that the stars are well known soap opera stars). Still, for this kind of bio- pic, it's fine for what it is. The ending is a little over the top. I think the director is trying too hard to show that Fidel has become isolated from the people. If you follow news, you know that this isn't true. But the parts that deal with the early stages of the Revolution are especially good, and it's fun to see the costumes, old cars and settings of pre-revolutionary Cuba. I also liked the parts that deal with the Revolutionary battles. It gives a good idea of what the Cubans were fighting for, and the dramatic scenes between Fidel and Celia Sánchez are good.