Before Night Falls

Fine Line Features | Release Date: December 22, 2000

6.6	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

JohnnyStephensAug 25, 2013

It's without doubt one of the best films ever made!! I wasn't expecting Johnny Depp to play this role and I am impressed that he played so good. I have no words for Javier Bardem.......he was perfect!!

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

ryancarroll88Aug 26, 2010

Aside from a few fleeting moments of cinematic brilliance and some key performances, Julian Schnabel's biopic of homosexual Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas falls flat on its face. Guest spots by Sean Penn and Johnny Depp are hilarious, though.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

KenRMay 23, 2022

While at times fleetingly fascinating, this work overwhelms itself with cinematic styles that intertwine into a vaguely incoherent, artistic ‘splash ‘n drip’ type exercise. Director Julian Schnabel’s intercutting of imagined events into theWhile at times fleetingly fascinating, this work overwhelms itself with cinematic styles that intertwine into a vaguely incoherent, artistic ‘splash ‘n drip’ type exercise. Director Julian Schnabel’s intercutting of imagined events into the general story flow often doesn’t run smoothly as it should. If anything, the musical aspects of the production offer more interest than its variable visual styles, with composer Carter Burwell contributing considerable moodiness to several sequences. The homosexuality on display here is more the selfish-gratification type than the ‘relationship’ variety. And with the Bi-sexual aspect being highlighted, it's little wonder sexual diseases proliferated in this society. Those who use their pro-creational organ in a ‘sewer’ (so to speak) as regularly as these, invite serious risk factors. Added to this, the un-naturally high number of male ‘partners’ Reinaldo Arenas boasted, virtually assured his sad and painful demise. Now, we also have the added threat of Monkeypox, credited as being born and spread within these lifestyles. The historical study of the introduction of Socialism into Cuban society and its impacts as displayed within this story - tends to confirm what many only learn after inviting this ominous system into its governing powers. While elements of the basic story often come across as somewhat fanciful, the cast does justice to the situations (some harrowing) within these flamboyant, risqué circles. This will be a film of limited interest to mainstream viewers (as the box office returns confirm) and may offer little enjoyment.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews