Cannes | Why did everyone have Che wrong?
The headline all over last week's Cannes prognostications were about how Soderbergh's Che epic wasn't going to make the Croisette.
Today, all the Cannes headlines lead with Soderbergh. Surprise, surprise: Che will storm the south of France - all 4 hours of it.
In hindsight, some could argue that a Soderbergh film at Cannes is a shoe-in - no matter how incomplete it is. And where else could the film preem? Venice, Telluride, Toronto? Too far away. And the rich biopic is still a glorious art film. No matter how many kids wear the Che-shirt, it still needs a splashy debut at a fest for a hungry press that always leans art-house.
How was everyone so off? Some conspiracy theorists might not be wrong in smelling a hand behind the bait and switch.
The film's producer and sales agent, Wild Bunch, who famously revolted against the Berlin market by setting up a bunker across the street, are lovingly notorious in misleading the press. Buyers at Berlin balked at the $10 mil asking price and Che fled the city with no deal.
Then the Cannes rumors started, becoming a near-fact in the blogosphere that there would be no revolution on the Croisette. WB has to be loving the press today, as will Cannes topper Gilles Jacob, who also loves his splashy announcements.
No matter who the person behind the curtain is, Che gloriously overthrew the press. Including us.
Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com. 
Hasta la victoria, siempre! Venceremos! (Even though Soderbergh should have talk to my dad about Che....)
Posted by: Mark Rabinowitz | 4/23/2008 2:05:48 PM
Che knocked off the wall of his office to enjoy the view of the firing squad executng his political enemies. He was torturing people himslef in the name of revolution. So after the Cannes is done gloryfing this peice of garbage proven mass murderer, probably the courageous Erol Moris will make a documentary examining why the torture by Che is justified and Abu-Grahb is a disgrace. Do you people realize how pathetic you are in your blindness? Che Murderer Guevara was as much of a hero as Stalin whom I am sure Soderbergh considers another freedom fighter. So he can make a two part epic called "Giorgian" and "Guerilla, who killed millions of people and adored Che as well" Get a life, or at least let others have theirs by not inspiring more murderous psychopats through the power of film.
Posted by: Yervand Kochar | 4/28/2008 12:30:54 AM