Reviews of films presented at the AFI Fest 2008 Film Festival:

Che Anti-dramatic, anti-charismatic and as anti-Hollywood as possible, the icon of the Cuban Revolution as seen by Steven Soderbergh puzzles and even disappoints.

Gogol Bordello Non-Stop Rough around the edges and highly emblematic of theatrical gypsy punk vision of founder and lead singer Eugene Hutz, director Maragarita Jimeno's documentary Gogol Bordello Non-Stopchronicles the band's early years and covers their 2006 European tour.

Leonera Trapero's film, served by sophisticated but never flashy cinematography and an extremely precise sense of the frame, knows how to play the discretion of the objective observer who nevertheless feels tenderness for his characters.

Tokyo! While all three parts of Tokyo! are forgotten fairly quickly, the film emerges from the coherent vision of a city often portrayed as sprawling, swarming, supersaturated with technology and finally over-sanitized.

Two Lovers James Gray is back on the big screen with Two Lovers, his opportunity to abandon the thrillers emblematic of his work and explore the inexhaustible theme of love.

Waltz with Bashir Waltz with Bashir is an animated autobiographical documentary whose title refers to an Israeli soldier taken under fire from snipers in Beirut.

The Wrestler With his hearing aid, his long dyed hair and a face which has been disgraced by one too many punches, Mickey Rourke's rough and selfless incarnation of a washed-out wrestler called Randy the Ram could easily be seen as a metaphor for the actor's career.

.: 11/08: Jeff Goldblum red carpet photoshoot — video
.: 11/08: The Brothers Bloom — article + video
.: 11/08: Plastic City — article + video
.: 11/06: The Wrestler — article + video
.: 11/02: Hunger — video
.: 11/02: Gogol Bordello — video
.: 11/02: Gomorrah & The Class — article + video
.: 11/01: Waltz with Bashir & Two Lovers — article + video