Ray And Motorcycle Diaries

Nov 17, 2004

I've been amazed by two movies I've seen in the last few days. First, Motorcycle Diaries, the story of young Che Guevara's trip with a college buddy through the spine of Latin America. From a travel viewpoint alone, this film is worth seeing. The montage of rural and mountainous Argentina and Chile is awesome. I felt like I was on the motorcycle with two young guys as they travel from town to town and from adventure to adventure.

But there's more than mere travelogue here. It's also a glimpse into the formative years of a young man who would become a great revolutionary in his later years. There's no heavy politics here. But you see a young man of privilege from a wealthy family who, in his travels in the hinterlands, begins to understand the class nature of society and its oppression of vast numbers of the population. Che's youthful sympathy for the downtrodden and poor for the racially oppressed mestizo is more and more evident as he moves toward his destination of Venezuela at the northern end of the continent.

This is a wonderful movie with irresistable acting. Directed by Walter Salles, it features Gael Garcia Bernal as the young Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, a sultry, sexy and sensitive young medical student. His comrade-in-travel, Alberto Granado, is played delightfully by Rodrigo de la Serna. Interestingly, the film was produced by Robert Redford.


Rodrigo de la Serna playing the adorable Alberto. You have to love him.


Gael Garcia Bernal as the young Ernesto Guevara de la Serna ... later to become Che.

The two youths begin their journey in 1952. Ernesto is 23 and Alberto, 29. They climb onto Alberto's La Poderosa, a 1939 Norton motorcycle, way past its prime, and head off in search of the real Latin America.

Watching this brought me back to a cross country trip I took with my friend Lonnie in the mid 60's. Hardly to be compared but, nevertheless, filled with the same joy of being young and on the road and looking to find ourselves. The background of our trip was the incipience of the peace movement that would sweep through our country a few years later.

Make an effort to see this film before it disappears from the theaters.

After the movie, we ate at a great Cuban restaurant on East 17th Street: Havana Central. That was a treat. Great mojito (that's a Cuban drink made from rum, macerated mint, sugar, seltzer and lime. The food was super: I had Pernil which is a Cuban roast pork that's been rubbed and soaked in a garlic/salt mix for hours and then cooked. Wow. Also, great rice and beans (your choice - red or black). My brother-in-law Peter had a seafood mariscada (like a stew or soup of clams, mussels, fish and shrimp in a wonderful garlic sauce). Joining us, besides Peter, were Lori and Gail. Between the movie, the dinner and the company we had a very lovely evening.


Lori and Gail at Havana Central on East 17th Street.


Havana Central at 22 East 17th Street - great mojitos. Great food.

We've been using the subway much more now that we're only two stops into Manhattan. After dinner at Havana Central we walked over to Union Square for the Q back to Brooklyn. And in 25 minutes we were walking up Park Place to our apartment. Cool.


Stacey waiting for a late night Q at Union Square.

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The other film I saw this week was Ray - the exquistely told story of the life and music of Ray Charles. This is a magnificent film that moved me to tears many times. It is filled with the pathos and trials of this outstanding musical genius who struggled to achieve greatness against the overwhelming odds of extreme poverty, racism, exploitation, blindness and drug addiction. Beautifully crafted and photographed, filled with marvelous flashbacks of early 20th century life in a horribly poor Black township in Florida, it shows the artist, warts and all, strengths and weaknesses. The film is almost three hours long but I was held spellbound throughout. The depiction of African-American life is done with humanity, dignity and warmth. Particularly stirring is the portrayal of Ray Charles' mom - a single mother who drudgingly works herself to the bone but never fails in her loyalty to her children and who, with such a proud and moral stature, instills in Ray the strength that allows him to rise above what seems to be insurmountable roadblocks.

This film has to win many Oscars. Jamie Foxx plays Charles with such fidelity that you feel you're watching the real man. Go see it.


Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. He deserves the Oscar for this brilliant and very moving portrayal. And, oh yes, the musical score is fabulous.

......

Pumpkin continues to make progess in adjusting to her new surroundings. She can be found on our bed, on a plush chair in our bedroom, on our new white sofa, on our coffee table or on any horizontal surface on which she can spread her flocculant self . Usually, spread out on her back. My only question is, dear cat, why do you enjoy looking at the world upside down? Do you know something I don't?


Pumpkin makes herself at home. After all, it's her house.

Pumpkin lolling away the day. How do cats get anything accomplished?