a film about freedom. about art. about forms of resistance against a dictatorship. fascinating, dramatic, being more than an admirable biopic. because it has two great virtues - splendid performances and a director who see each detail of a large manifesto about values and about the need to be free. Javier Bardem does an impeccable role. not surprising. only fascinating exploration of a fight who seems be impossible. because "Before Night Falls" has the chance to propose not exactly a case but the essence of what defines an artist, the fear of a regime who understand the difference as danger, the force of friendship and the moral victory relevance. a splendid film. as useful testimony.

2 months ago we were in Cuba.... I wanted to watch this film hoping to see some of the parts of the Cuba and remember my memories... But, I stop seeing the film at 48. minutes since I found the movie very anti-revolutionary :( Can one expect the opposite from a US film? Film just focused on gay issues and try to show the socialism bad! Can anybody tell that capitalism is very nice? Very good for all levels of people? or defense capitalism? Pls try to learn the system in Cuba. Still making films to show the socialism bad is funny and doesn't give to me good feelings about the director and the producers. As a second point, it's very disturbing -- in the film -- that Cuban in Cuba speak English!!! WHY??!?!? This frequently happens in many films which disturbs me too much and causes me to stop seeing the film. I'm not sure if the following is spoiler? I don't think so. I'm not against the gays of course, i know that they born that way, but we watched many films on gays.. I personally don't want to see them kissing and having sex. This is just the capitalism do; continuously making this kind of movies, etc..

A wonderful interpretation of the late Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas by Javier Bardem makes this film worthwhileIt appears that this great writer was just destined for a life of tragedy.From the time of living with an outrageous grandfather to his university years followed by enthusiasm leading to disgust with the Castro Administration, Bardem has the right appeal as the intellectually vulnerable youth who chose homosexuality as his way of life.From the time of trumped up charges against him for allegedly molesting a youth, it was all down-hill in his life with his eventual escape to New York followed by a fatal illness.This film reinforces the idea of the closed society of Cuba's Castro.

I can accept that Before Night Falls is a terrificly well done picture, with perfect shots and angles and an excellent cast line up (cameos of Johnny Depp and Sean Penn), but I think there are unnecessary scenes that can make you feel sick. I think it is about half an hour through the movie when it shows the fourteen year old boy having explicit sex and later on showing a fair few homosexual sex scenes. I'd have to disagree with most people and say that I don't think any of the sex scenes were one hundred percent necessary, especially the one with the fourteen year old boy.Although I do still recommend it to people who can easily handle heavy topics and graphic sex, because the movie (when excluding the sex) is very good. It's almost worth watching just for the performance (or the hilarious look) of Johnny Depp's two roles.I'd give it 8.4 stars.