hen the Cannes beaches are stocked with filmmakers, movies stars, and paparazzi, it’s inevitable that dirt will start getting thrown around and names will be dragged through the mud. Cannes is a shooting ground as much as it is a celebration of cinema. Here’s some of the gossipy goodness that’s been unearthed so far.

Soderbergh’s Che Gets Slaughtered By Critics

The big news at the moment is the rather hostile and negative reaction that most critics have had to Steven Soderbergh’s 2-part biography of Che Guevara (starring Benicio Del Toro as the infamous revolutionary). Though intended to be released as two separate movies theatrically (as The Argentine and Guerrilla), the Cannes audiences were treated to both movies as one butt-numbing 4 hour and 30 minute plus intermission showcase entitled Che. This decision may have been a mistake because reports have suggested that a fair chunk of the audience abandoned their seats at their halfway mark and missed what is considered by Che supporters to be the superior film.

The early reviews have been vicious with Variety’s Todd McCarthy saying “If the director has gone out of his way to avoid the usual Hollywood biopic conventions, he has also withheld any suggestion of why the charismatic doctor, fighter, diplomat, diarist and intellectual theorist became and remains such a legendary figure; if anything, Che seems diminished by the way he's portrayed here.” The Toronto Star’s Peter Howell was equally dismissive of the movie, saying “The film reeks of authenticity but also self-indulgence” and that it “could prove as deadly to the director's career as Heaven's Gate was to Michael Cimino's.” These are harsh words from both men and their opinion was definitely the dominant view of the film.

Soderbergh has been researching and nurturing this project for seven years, so it is entirely possible that he lost his sense of objectivity and slipped into self-indulgence. But at the same time, Cannes can be a remarkably hostile critical environment for filmmakers. The reputation and history of the festival is so huge that expectations are raised considerably for every film and it is quite common for unconventional movies to be attacked for not fulfilling expectations. Going back ten years, both Jeunet et Caro’s City Of Lost Children and Terry Gilliam’s Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas were torn apart by critics when they appeared at Cannes and as a result received small and unceremonious theatrical releases. However, when the dust cleared audiences recognized that the films were actually quite interesting projects that were simply misunderstood because of their bizarre and unique visions. In subsequent years both movies have become cult hits. Soderbergh’s Che could very well meet the same fate.

Those who championed Che said what could be expected from a situation like this. They felt that the film was fascinating, but very challenging and experimental. With an over four hour running time anyone who doesn’t immediately connect with an odd style would quickly become frustrated and bored by the proceedings. Perhaps this was just a case of a project being screened in the wrong way at the wrong time. It’s unfortunate that it happened in such a widely known and respected venue, but that sadly happens all too often. Speaking about the movie’s reception, Soderbergh told Hollywood Elsewhere, “I find it hilarious that people always complain about movies being the same, and then when something different comes along-a film that deals the cards in a different way-they say why isn't it more conventional?" It will be months before audiences and critics who weren’t able to attend Cannes will have a chance to chime in on the movie, but at least then they will mercifully get to view the epic project one film at a time.