An absorbing character study as well as something of a coming of age yarn, The Motorcycle Diaries tells of the impact that a marathon trek across South America had on two young men. Alberto (Rodrigo de la Serna) and Ernesto (Gael Garcia Bernal) are medical students who decide to have a last road trip before a humdrum medical existence beckons. The plan to investigate the huge continent that they call home is an ambitious one, but over the course of their adventure, both men's outlook on their lives and those around them changes quite dramatically. And just to make matters really interesting, the trip was later was cited as one of the defining episodes in the life of Ernesto, who would come to be better known as Che Guevara.
Epic in scope, yet intimate in tone, The Motorcycle Diaries is impressively directed by Walter Salles (Behind the Sun; Central Station), capturing the two young men as they reach a metaphysical and emotional crossroads in their respective lives. The film was adapted from Guevara's own autobiographical works, and Jose Rivera's screenplay offers insight into the early motivations of Guevara and how his political viewpoint was forged, as well as an unpretentious, accessible snapshot of two idealistic young men, who are quite simply on the road for kicks and adventure. The performances are subtle and honed - Gael Garcia Bernal appears to justify the Colin Farrellesque hype that has enveloped his career, while his co-star Rodrigo de la Serna is equally impressive in his own quiet way. See it and you'll never look at another poster of Che in a dodgy Rathmines flat in the same light again.
