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The Motorcycle Diaries

Name: The Motorcycle Diaries
Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Released: September 24, 2004
Duration: 126 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo De la Serna

2004

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 56 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 56 Ratings

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The Motorcycle Diaries

Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: September 24, 2004 | R

Starring: Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo De la Serna

Summary: This film follows an inspiring journey of self-discovery and traces the youthful origins of a revolutionary heart, Che Guevara. (Focus Features)

Director: Walter Salles

Genre(s): Adventure, Biography, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 126 min

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Awards & Rankings

66	#66 Best Movie of 2004
99	#99 Most Discussed Movie of 2004

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Chris Kaltenbach

Lovely, heartfelt and unforced. Read full review

100

Shawn Levy

The result is a rare and precious work. The Motorcycle Diaries is an epic road movie with everything you'd want from such a film: laughs, kicks, adventures, pathos, poetry, natural beauty, strange encounters and friendship tested and strengthened. Read full review

Peter Travers

A mesmerizing look at an asthmatic, rich-boy medical student in the act of discovering his insurgent spirit. Read full review

Andrew O'Hehir

There is a balancing act at work here that sometimes makes the film seem too careful, but I found it a lovely and supremely moving experience, a haunting symphony in a minor key if not a knock-your-socks-off masterpiece. Read full review

Liam Lacey

Captures some of the spirit of the real Che. Read full review

David Ansen

It's a picturesque tale that, hobbled by its episodic structure, never achieves full steam. Read full review

J.R. Jones

It never conjures up any coherent drama of its own, focusing instead on the historical destiny of Bernal's beefcake messiah. Read full review

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User Reviews

StephenS.

Sep 10, 2005

Combine beautiful photography and powerful, natural acting with terrific writing, and you have Motorcycle Diaries. For those who criticize the movie as creating a false portrait of a man who would later advocate violent revolution, have they so little imagination that they are unable to Combine beautiful photography and powerful, natural acting with terrific writing, and you have Motorcycle Diaries. For those who criticize the movie as creating a false portrait of a man who would later advocate violent revolution, have they so little imagination that they are unable to comprehend how a young person who goes off to discover the world could legitimately grow from a sheltered son of privilege into a revolutionary, given the conditions of the world? One's politics are generally formed by your life experiences, and for most U.S. citizens, their experience is standardized television/mall living, with few ever traveling out of their racial ghetto, much less out of the U.S. Whatever else a viewer might get from the film, would that it might be an interest in making his or her own journey of discovery--to places that no one in the family has ever visited. Go for six months. See if you, like Ernesto/Che aren't changed. Things don't happen for no reason at all, my fellow citizens.… Expand

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EduardoA.

Sep 17, 2005

(Sorry if my english is bad). It is simply the best movie I've ever seen, i always admired "Che" Guevara because of his intelligence and his principles, his vision, the way that he matured, until becoming the most unselfish being in the world, and I think this movie reflects all that, (Sorry if my english is bad). It is simply the best movie I've ever seen, i always admired "Che" Guevara because of his intelligence and his principles, his vision, the way that he matured, until becoming the most unselfish being in the world, and I think this movie reflects all that, and it does in a way that only non-commercial director's and these kind of actors (famous in south america) can.… Expand

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FazilM.

Mar 20, 2006

Possibly Gael Garcia's best performance till date. The film is seamless and very heartening at times. Also to be praised is Gustavo Santaolalla's impeccable compositions for the move.

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SamX.

May 1, 2006

Stunning visual style and reminiscient of Jack Kerouac on the road. Those who rate this film poorly are probably just critics of el Che, and their opinions of the man and legend is reflected in the scores, rather than the content of the film itself.

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SrPepe

Sep 5, 2018

Si bien llega un momento en el que la película puede parecer bastante lenta, es muy interesante ver la historia atrás de un personaje tan controvertido e histórico por lo menos en la historia de Latinoamérica.

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MauroPTriano

Dec 22, 2013

Well crafted and acted but it is not really special, the story is ambitious but the characters don't develop an interesting relationship and it just reach the point of showing an inspired young "Che". Gael García Bernal's work should be mentioned.

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amheretojudge

Nov 21, 2018

better late than never..

The Motorcycle Diaries Salles's two wheeler ride may be uncomfortable but it is a success on reaching its destination, maybe not on time, but better late than never. Ticking for two hours, the journey does get hectic. But just as such long trip consists, it isbetter late than never..

The Motorcycle Diaries

Salles's two wheeler ride may be uncomfortable but it is a success on reaching its destination, maybe not on time, but better late than never. Ticking for two hours, the journey does get hectic. But just as such long trip consists, it is brimmed with essential stops that juices up the track if it gets dry and weary. The concept calls for the storyline to be a series of different events and stops, but the performance holds you on your seat and gives you enough reason to stay till the last station arrives. As much as adaptive and layered the narration is, it isn't sharp, it doesn't speak to you a lot.

You have to search for it, nothing is served up front in here which is often good but only if it teases you to look for it and keep things intriguing. The rich cultures, beautiful live locations, real earthiness and a grounded dusty or cold roads does travel to you and on that tour-guide note it is a triumph. Aforementioned, the performance is what the feature thrives on. The passion wearing down and rebirthing itself from the ashes like a phoenix, Bernal is the apt companion to have for this trip. He is not confident, he is reserved, simple and more importantly makes mistake; a non provocative three dimensional character.

Serna as his supporting character holds onto his part convincingly. This over thought out philosophical medicine is admirable but certainly not cinematic enough to balance the husky and crispy bits alongside. The characteristics of the protagonist keeps surprising you throughout the course, his ideologies, his stubborn nature, everything opens big arms for the audience. The Motorcycle Diaries is like a ride and a diary-writing-habit, it can be sweat inducing but in the end it's worth every drop of it.… Expand

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