Just perfect...

Best movie ever!

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

"Comandante was an excellent documentary, full of interesting images and information about the figure of Fidel Casttro: his day by day, his thoughts, etc. But Stone made a big mistake: he let himself get seduced by the huge charisma of the Cuban leader (something that's pretty easy, nobody can deny it) and he forgot to tell about so important issues such as the Cuban dissidents, or the fact that in Cuba there's not freedom of speech at all. With "looking for Fidel" Oliver tries to fix that, he's interviewed several Cuban dissidents, their families, and has asked Castro about the last executions in the isle and stuff...Now, here comes the big question: why are the USA so obsessed with Castro while they form alliances with dictatorships that are much more harmful than Cuba's such as Morocco, Arabia Saudi, China, etc.? Why do they criticize Castro if they supported Pinochet, Videla or Batista? You don't have to answer... I already know why.*My rate: 7/10

I found this documentary interesting, but it could have been SO much better. The main problem was the style in which it was taped. Even simple exchanges between Oliver Stone and Fidel Castro were taped with four or five cameras, two of which were hand held and none of which ever stopped moving -- panning back and forth, zooming in and out -- in a sort of MTV-documentary style. It was horribly distracting. Another problem was Stone, who spent much of the time sifting through reams of notes in an attempt to seem prepared. A very amateurish way of interviewing someone. Overall, this documentary is more flash than substance, like most of Stone's movies.

You'll know what I mean once you've seen the doc. The level of professionalism is ratcheted up to something akin to 60 Minutes over, say, typical documentary fare like Hidden in Plain Sight, which I have reviewed. There is no narration, although factoids appear a few times. And the interpreter is fairly impressive. I think I'd like the DVD if it had additional footage, which is inevitable here I think. If you have seen Buena Vista Social Club, you already have a feel for Cuba, which many Americans may not. I already knew that, for instance, Cuba's literacy rate is one of the best in the world. They generally do not suffer for lack of food either. The film makes references to the Cuban 5 and the Cuban international trade scenario. I suppose I will research further because the intent is to focus on Fidel here and it does that admirably. I felt like it dragged a little about 3o-45 minutes in, but Fidel's passion and struggle in having to face compromises in his wish to hold to certain revolutionary principles is more than charming. Small states are traditionally virtuous because they are weaker, and vice versa for big states, a point Castro manages to put in context without using it as a crutch. Watch for the shot of Che at the end, a startling likeness to Benicio Del Toro, who has looked like many.

I caught this tonight on HBO and I'd like to express my gratitude to Oliver Stone for making this. I've been wanting someone to do this for quite some time. It wasn't until very recently that I made the discovery that this was actually available to us.The documentary does a very good job of illustrating Fidel Castro's role in Cuba and in the world. Opinions from parties both for and against his rule are expressed, and provide a fairly balanced outlook to this important situation. I haven't seen the first part of this series yet, and I'm looking forward to it.I would definitely recommend this to anybody, as it serves as a valuable learning tool. Anybody from an avid historian to a procrastinating student may find value in its substance.