Before Night Falls Movie Review 2000

Director Schnabel takes a quantum leap in skill in his second film (after "Basquiat"). This time his tortured artist is the literally tortured late Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas (Bardem), who falls victim to Castro's repression against both his writings and his sexuality (he's gay). Arenas gets thrown into prison, eventually gets released after confessing his "crimes," and makes his escape as part of the 1980 Mariel boatlift. Ironically, freedom offers little solace to Arenas either in Miami or his last home in New York. Spanish actor Bardem is outstanding as the poet who only seeks to be true to himself and pays a tragic price. Based on the writer's autobiography.

Distribution

New Line Home Video, 116 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, Phone: (310)854-5811, Fax: (310)854-1824, URL: http://www.newline.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 134 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Biopics: Writers, AIDS, Gays, Cuba, Men in Prison, Great Escapes, Poetry, Writers, New York, New York, Struggling Artists

Screenplay

Julian Schnabel, Lazaro Gomez Carilles, Cunningham O'Keefe

Cast

Javier Bardem, Olivier Martinez, Andrea Di Stefano, Johnny Depp, Michael Wincott, Sean Penn, Hector Babenco, Najwa Nimri

Cinematography

Xavier Perez Grobet, Guillermo Rosas

Director

Julian Schnabel

Music

Carter Burwell

Producer

Fine Line Features

Awards

Ind. Spirit 2001: Actor (Bardem); Natl. Bd. of Review 2000: Actor (Bardem); Natl. Soc. Film Critics 2000: Actor (Bardem).