Fresh
In uniting to honor Arenas, Bardem and Schnabel create something extraordinary.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
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Before Night Falls
Overview
Spanning several decades, this powerful biopic offers a glimpse into the life of famed Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas, an artist who was vilified for his homosexuality in Fidel Castro's Cuba.
Director and cast
- Julian Schnabel Director
- Javier Bardem as Reinaldo Arenas
- Olivier Martinez as Lazaro Gomez Carilles
- Johnny Depp as Bon Bon / Lieutenant Victor
- Andrea Di Stefano as Pepe Malas
- Santiago Magill as Tomas Diego
- John Ortiz as Juan Abreu
- Héctor Babenco as Virgilio Pinera
- Najwa Nimri as Fina Correa
- Francisco Gattorno as Jorge Camacho
- Marisol Padilla Sánchez Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
74%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Clearly this is Bardem's show. And Bardem walks away with it.
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Fresh
It's a struggle not just to make art but to exist, which is itself an art. And to that goal, the cast members, led by the astonishing Bardem, allow themselves to be devoured by the roles they are playing.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Fresh
Though Schnabel's first picture, Basquiat, was notable for its excess and self-indulgence, the filmmaker shows restraint and maturity in this moving depiction of Arenas's life and loves.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Fresh
Soulful, deeply moving.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
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