“Before Night Falls” (Antes de anocher ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Before_Night_Falls_(film)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_night_falls/
"Before Night Falls," by Julian Schnabel, is a superb film that shows a ground level personal history of 20th century Cuba as the setting for (and cause of) the narrative of the life of Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas, played by Javier Bardem. Reinaldo Arenas was a Cuban writer grown up in a rural area, celebrated and celebrating in the revolution, then lifestyle crackdowns, smuggling out work, prison, exile in New York. It brings us the feel of those different years as Arenas goes through them, and portrays the complexities of Cuba in those years. Bardem read all of Arenas’ books before filming and spent months with Arenas’ dear friend Laslo to bring authenticity to the role. Johnny Depp has a fun dual cameo role in the prison years and Sean Penn makes a surprise appearance in a rural area somewhere .... I didn’t know he was in it and didn’t recognize him at all the first time I saw this: I just felt disturbed that I knew that face from somewhere. I think it is all in Spanish, or mostly. The soundtrack is great Cuban period music. The film is worth seeing over and over as are other films of the same genre: history as background for individual lives.
