Film

Comandante (2003)

Director: Oliver Stone

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Exploding cigars are one thing, but when the Yanks send you Oliver Stone as an interviewer, you know things have come to a pretty pass. Still, Fidel Castro's wiles haven't deserted him yet. When a buffoonish American big-shot fingering an Oliver Hardy moustache brings his DV camera a-questioning, you call his bluff with silver-tongued half-answers, make like friends, and be sure he gets on his plane. So when the key question inevitably comes up, Castro pauses only to wonder 'What is a dictator? And is it bad?' before 'fessing the scoop: 'I am a dictator to myself, I am a slave to my people.' Seems he has always tried to solve problems through persuasion and 'moral authority' - hence the interminable speeches. Stone, on the other hand, still has ants in his pants. At the first hint of a full stop he's changing subject. The short concentration span editing and bombastic musical scoring are likewise par for the course. The pair make a smug double act, but you can't fault them for charisma. Chuck any hopes of historical testimony, and this dishes up a colourful cat and mouse game - with the rare sight of Stone as the mouse.

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