Actor José Luis “Chavito” Marrero passed away on Sunday Feb. 8 at Pavia Hospital in Santurce after a lengthy battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was 82 years old.

Marrero, who was last seen in the 2007 Boricua film “Maldeamores,” left a broad legacy in the arts with memorable appearances on local radio, theater, film and television. Some of those titles include films “Dios los cría,” “La guagua aérea,” “Angelito mío” and “Mi día de suerte;” telenovelas such as “Tanairí,” “Dueña y senora” and “Señora Tentación;” and plays “Tiempo muerto,” “La charca,” and “Antígona Pérez.”

Born in Río Piedras on July 20, 1926, Marrero originally attended the University of Puerto Rico to become a doctor but switched to drama instead, thus beginning an illustrious career that spanned over 60 years.

Another long term success for Marrero was his 47-year marriage to fellow actress Mercedes Sicardó, with whom Marrero sired three children: María Lourdes, José Luis and Ana María.

At his wake, held at the Buxeda Funeral Home in Hato Rey on Monday, Feb 9, dozens of members from Puerto Rico’s clase artística came in droves to say goodbye to their dear colleague “Chavito.” Among them were Edwin Francisco, Nydia Caro, Angela Meyer Camille Carrión, Chucho Avellanet, Alba Nydia Díaz, Walter Rodríguez, Ricardo Fabregas, Sandra Zaiter and director Dean Zayas, just to name a few.

Marrero’s body was taken the following day to the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and later to the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center, where he received a standing ovation as a final farewell. Marrero was laid to rest at the Buxeda Cemetery in Cupey later that afternoon.

TuTV (Channel 6) paid tribute to Marrero by switching its regular schedule on Tuesday, to present some of the late actor’s most outstanding appearances, including films “Los cuentos de Abelardo,” and “Dios los cría” plus interviews in “Imágenes” and “50 años de WIPR.”

Actor Benicio del Toro got one more award for his already crowded mantle during the 23^rd annual Premios Goya held in Madrid on Feb. 1. Del Toro won his Goya for best male lead actor for his role as Ernesto “Che” Guevara” in Steven Soderbergh’s epic biopic “Che.”

Many in the industry noted the award, cheering the talented 41-year-old actor on his most recent laurel. But some feel Benicio should have received far more attention for this role, at least an Oscar nomination.

“It’s an honor to receive an award in a country that speaks my language and the language that el Che spoke,” he told the audience in Spanish during a warmly received improvised speech. “A country with impressive raíces cineamtográficas and in which cinema is culture.”

Del Toro also dedicated the award to all the actors that worked in “Che,” as well as director Soderbergh and fellow actor Sean Penn, who has been promoting “Che” during his award season rounds. Penn has a Critics Choice Award and a SAG Award for his role as Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s “Milk.” Penn is also nominated for an Oscar in the lead actor category for that role.

Running against Del Toro in the best leading actor category were Mexican actor Diego Luna for “Solo quiero caminar” and Spaniards Javier Cámera and Raúl Arévalo, both for “Los girasoles ciegos.” “Che” also garnered a Goya for best artistic direction.

Although “Che” was overlooked by the Oscars, the film currently plays to packed houses stateside. Some U.S. critics, as a matter of fact, have decried the snub. Kevin Lewin, from the World Entertainment News Network, wrote to the L.A. Times’ Tom O’Neil that “Del Toro’s “Che Guevara deserves some kind of reward. Maybe that’s why Sean Penn singled the portrayal out at the SAG Awards on Sunday [Jan. 25].”

Lewin’s note, which O’Neil posted on his blog on Jan 28, also states that Del Toro should have had the Oscar nod the Academy gave to Brad Pitt for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

“I like Pitt a lot — he’s got Steve McQueen’s cool and a bag load of presence, but let’s not confuse that with acting,” writes Lewin. “He’s a movie star. And, in a best actor category, shouldn’t the best actors be there?”

Lewin goes further, saying that Soderbergh’s decision not to edit “Che” probably cost the film more publicity and Del Toro a spot among this year’s lead actor Oscar contenders.

“I feel for Benicio del Toro as he’s the kid who misses the big game because his coach ran up the score against the Oscar Voting Vultures — and they’re the ones picking the teams for the Super Bowl,” Lewin concludes. “But Benny, your performance didn’t bypass me — or Sean Penn. And I do hope Brad Pitt enjoys the Oscars. He’s there on a wild card.”

It’s been 41 years since Ernesto “Che” Guevara was shot by a firing squad in Bolivia, yet his presence in pop culture remains as strong as ever. Many generations have come to life since, knowing Che as merely an image on posters and T-shirts, bought by those who want to look “radically cool.” For those of us who fit into that category, Steven Soderbergh’s latest directorial effort “Che” will play on the screen like historia viva.

Soderbergh, along with executive producers Laura Bickford and Benicio del Toro, who delivers a standout performance as el Che, did extensive research not just into Guevara’s life but also the historical events surrounding his rise to power and eventual execution. And, boy, does it show. First of all, the recreation of that period (from 1955 to 1967) was quite accurate in virtually every detail, from the look of the characters to that of the battlegrounds, the cities and the open spaces through which the story takes place.

I didn’t know much about Guevara prior to the movie, but based on what I have read after watching these films, “Che” comes pretty close and covers quite a bit of ground.

“Che, part one” follows Ernesto “Che” Guevara (del Toro) through his trek as a rising revolucionario. His early days as a fledging doctor who enlists in the revolution along with brothers Fidel and Raul Castro (played by Demián Bichir and Rodrigo Santoro respectively), are intercalated with black and white flash forwards of Guevara as El Comandante, giving his famous 1964 visit to the United Nations. The pace in part one is somewhat slow; the movie really takes its time establishing the time frame and the characters, demanding more patience from the audience but gaining momentum towards the end as Guevara rises to power.

Part two begins with Guevara leaving his wife Aleida (Catalina Sandino Moreno, from “María Full of Grace”) and their children behind in Cuba to lead another revolution, this time in Bolivia. With very little support from that country’s Communist Party, Guevara’s troop finds itself in dire straits, barely one step ahead of the Bolivian army. This film’s pace here goes a lot faster than in part one and as Guevara and his faithful try to advance, the story does a better job involving the audience.

The cinematography is impressive. Soderbergh filmed most of the two films using natural light and a new digital camera called RED, which shoots with the quality of 35mm film. The battles and skirmishes are presented in epic scope. The script was written by Peter Buchman, who penned the “Alexander” script for Oliver Stone’s biopic.

“Che” features a notable cast, including Franka Potente as one of Guevara’s revolutionaries and cameos from Lou Diamond Philips and Matt Damon. Bichir is gives a remarkable performance as Fidel Castro, capturing his speech and mannerisms without falling into a caricature. But the movie definitely belongs with del Toro, who certainly earned that Best Lead Actor Award at Cannes in May. He neither sanctifies nor demonizes Guevara, merely showing a man who left a privileged life to fight for an ideal he believed in. The part also garnered del Toro a nomination for Best Lead Actor at the Goya Awards in Spain next month. Fingers crossed, he’ll get that too. He deserves it.

History buffs and those curious to know who the figure in the posters and the T-shirts really was should watch this movie on the big screen. A TV screen can’t do these films justice. Although each part can stand on its own, it would be best to watch one after the other to get Guevara in a broader context. “Che” can be quite challenging for movie audiences that are mostly used to fast-paced action thrillers and comedies. But given some time and patience, the movie delivers, putting one of history’s most polarizing figures in a more objective light.

“Che, part one” runs129 minutes and opens at Caribbean Cinemas on Jan. 15. “Che, part two” runs 128 minutes and opens at Caribbean Cinemas on Feb. 5.

After more than a year away from TV sets, Jack Bauer made an explosive return to primetime in “24: Redemption.” The two hour movie, which garnered great ratings (12 million, 4.0) for Fox on Nov. 23, is meant to bridge season six with the upcoming new season. Anticipation, however, gave way to disillusion as the story stretched towards its second hour.

Having been tortured by the Chinese and coming close to being nuked, Jack has exiled himself to a fictitious country in Africa, where he finds refuge in a boys school run by a former buddy named Carl Benton (Robert Carlyle). Of course, peace does not last too long. A war lord planning his coup d’etat starts kidnapping young boys for his army and soon enough, he targets the school. Cut to Jack kicking everybody’s butt, with or without an AK 47.

The scenes back at the states, where a new president is about to take office, do not hint at anything new, save for a few things. I am certainly looking forward to President Elect Allison Taylor’s tenure and seeing what sort of prez she’ll turn out to be. Maybe Hillary Clinton will think about what could have been if she watches…

On the day of her inauguration, Taylor (Cherry Jones) learns about the African nation’s crisis and is incensed when she learns that President Noah Daniels (Powers Boothe) has ordered an evacuation of all American personnel out of the country without consulting his decision with her. On the other hand, her son Roger (Eric Lively) hears from a friend who is involved in a cover up and wants him to take the matter directly to his mom. (Who needs the FBI, right?) Even with these new players, the storylines seem to be the same from those of previous seasons, to the point where I knew way before how both Benton and Roger’s buddy were going to end. Nothing shocking there. El mismo dulce con diferente envoltura.

And, yes, there’s the big bad guy, played this time by Academy Award winner Jon Voight, who is behind all the intrigue, we’ll see nest season.

The sneak preview of season seven was far more intriguing than the movie. (SPOILER ALERT: STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE DETAILS!) In the trailer, we see Jack returning the states and a completely different reality. The Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) was disbanded shortly after the events of season six and Jack is forced to sit in front of a Congressional hearing investigating his methods during his tenure at CTU. Among the new players, there are some familiar faces such as Bill Buchanan (James Morrison), Chloe O’Brien (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and to a lesser point Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert). Hopefully no mountain lions will be involved in her story arch.

The most shocking return is Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida, whose round trip from the dead is confounding many fans of the show. Yes, there was no silent clock when he “died” but I can’t wait to see how show creators Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow are going to explain that one. Better yet, Almeida apparently switched sides, playing on the bad guys team. And we all know what that means. Jack will go medieval on his former buddy’s butt. Not the first time he would do that anyway. Ask Curtis Manning (R.I.P.)…

Although she is not listed with the cast, the cancellation of NBC’s “Lipstick Jungle” certainly opens the door for Kim Raver to return as Audrey Raines. And in a show like this one, anything goes, so we’ll see.

After the dismal season six, the writers of “24″ better deliver a season that at least restores the show to its former glory. “Redemption” was not a very promising start, but the show has the opportunity to correct that wrong. Let’s hope it does because this will be the last chance the show will get from it’s disappointed audience.

“24″ will premiere with a two night, four hour premiere event starting on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 9 p.m. (Puerto Rico time) on Fox.

Quantum Of Solace Theatrical Poster

This is not your dad’s James Bond.

Audiences have gotten past the British super agent’s blond locks by now, but that’s not the only thing that’s different about this James Bond. As played once again by Daniel Craig, Bond is darker and the story lines are no longer based in fantasy but grounded in real problems such as the fight for oil and the environment. He is not aided by Q, his extravagant spy gadgets or super cars anymore, though that’s not to say that the franchise is devoid of technology. Rather, it is used in a more realistic fashion.

“Quantum of Solace” is the franchise’s first sequel, picking up exactly where “Casino Royale” left off two years ago with Bond going after the members of an organization called QUANTUM, who extorted his girlfriend Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). The trail leads to Haiti where Bond joins forces with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a young woman who has an agenda of her own. The two go after Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) an environmentalist who is up to no good. On top of that, Bond and M (Judi Dench) find that the evil organization has infiltrated MI6 and the CIA has its own interests in the case, making 007’s job even harder.

The script by Neal Purvis and Oscar winner Paul Haggis is packed with action sequences which are stunning but they take over the storyline and even push credibility. Director Marc Foster keeps the action going throughout the film, limiting Bond to a few words here and there before sending him off on another explosive chase. It would have been great to get into Bond’s psyche a bit more and truly see how he feels about Vesper’s betrayal. The locales are less glamorous this time around but the scenery is still amazing to watch on the big screen.

Fans of the traditional James Bond may find it a bit difficult to embrace  the franchise’s new direction but  those who just want to see a good action movie will certainly walk away satisfied.

W. Theatrical Poster

Metro San Juan recently watched a sneak preview of director Oliver Stone’s highly anticipated biopic “W” and found the controversial director was shockingly sympathetic with his subject.

Those who have already seen the movie’s trailer probably expect Dubya’s portrayal to be a showcase of Pres. George W. Bush’s worst political blunders. You will see those, but that’s just part of the story.

Director Oliver Stone and screenwriter Stanley Weiser divide “W.” in three acts. During the first, audiences meet George W. Bush (Josh Brolin) as a drunken frat boy who chafes under the weight of his family’s political legacy and seeks his own fortune without success. By the second act, he has turned away from the bottle and had found religion, his wife Laura (Elizabeth Banks) and purpose as a baseball team owner and a two-term governor of Texas. The third act brings Dubya to the White House, particularly to the days preceding Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq. All along,  Bush Jr. feels trapped under the shadow of his father, George H.W. Bush (James Cromwell), as he watches the senior Bush rise from the House of Representatives to the White House.

Brolin does a superb job as Dubya, although he looks a little weathered to play Bush as a younger man. Richard Dreyfuss plays Vice President Dick Cheney with Machiavellian delight. English actor Toby Jones does come close as Karl Rove.

The rest of the Bush staff however, are reduced to caricatures. Scott Glenn is a wonderful actor but he barely scratches the surface as Donald Rumsfeld. The same can be said about Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, who does not seem to be at ease with his character. And as Dubya’s yeswoman Condoleezza Rice, Thandie Newton does not contribute much beyond her tooth-gapped grin and her stiff flipped hairdo.

Ellen Burstyn does inject some gusto into Barbara Bush but Banks is relegated to the background as the dutiful wife who is just there to soothe a restless George Jr. And although he does not look or sound like George Sr., Cromwell does capture the Bush patriarch well.

Rather than the biting portrayal of a man who got to the White House de carambola, as the trailer hints at, Stone sympathises with his main subject, portraying him as the boy king who struggles to fullfil his family’s legacy and is scared of letting his dear “Poppy” down. As the biopic of one of the most controversial figures in recent political history, “W.” is quite tame.

Rated PG-13 with a runtime of 129 mins., “W.”  opens on Nov. 6 at the Fine Arts Cafe Theater in Hato Rey.