Benicio del Toro urges Cuba, US to talk

Actor Benicio del Toro -- in Havana to unveil his portrayal of Cuban revolutionary hero Ernest Che Guevara in two Stephen Soderbergh films -- urged longtime US enemies the United States and Cuba to start talking.

Asked about perpetually thorny US-Cuban relations, the Puerto Rico-born, Pennsylvania-bred actor said they should talk "because if they are talking they will end up understanding each other."

Cuba's communist government has said it is willing to talk if the United States does not take a carrot and stick approach, and US president elect Barack Obama has said he would take some partial measures to ease some US policies toward Havana.

The neighboring countries do not have full diplomatic relations.

Del Toro said he expects that under Obama the countries "will make some progress, and start talking."

"I hope this film will help somewhat in their understanding each other better," he added at the showings of "El Argentino" and "El Guerrillero," which together add up to an epic four and one-half hours of screen time.

Some 2,000 Cuban moviegoers gave the cast a standing ovation at Havana's jammed Yara cinema -- after the films were shown.

"It was sensational, because we are bringing the film where it all began, we have crossed the finish line; it was moving," del Toro glowed.