Before Night Falls is a 2000 American biographical drama film directed by Julian Schnabel. The film is based on both the autobiography of the same name by Reinaldo Arenas—published in English in 1993[4]—as well as Jana Boková's 1990 documentary Havana.
| Before Night Falls | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Julian Schnabel |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on |
|
| Produced by | Jon Kilik |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
|
| Edited by | Michael Berenbaum |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
Production company | Grandview Pictures[1] |
| Distributed by | Fine Line Features[1] |
Release dates | |
Running time | 133 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States[1] |
| Language | English[1] |
| Budget | $20 million[2] |
| Box office | $8.5 million[3] |
The screenplay was co-written by Schnabel, Lázaro Gómez Carriles and Cunningham O'Keefe. The film stars Javier Bardem (his international film debut, and who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor), Johnny Depp, Olivier Martinez, Andrea Di Stefano, Santiago Magill and Michael Wincott. The film had its world premiere at the 57th Venice International Film Festival.[1]
Plot
editIn the film, Arenas is born in Oriente Province, Cuba in 1943 and raised by his single mother and her parents, who soon move the entire family to Holguín. After moving to Havana in the 1960s to continue his studies, Reinaldo begins to explore his ambitions, as well as his sexuality. After receiving an honorary mention in a writing contest, Arenas is offered the chance to publish his first work. Through his work and friendships with other openly gay men, like Pepe Malas and Tomas Diego, Arenas manages to find himself.
The political climate in Cuba becomes increasingly dangerous, and in the early 1970s Arenas is arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting minors, and for publishing abroad without official consent. In the next decade, he is in and out of prison, attempting and failing to leave the country several times.
In 1980, Arenas finally leaves Cuba for the United States, starting a new life with his close friend Lazaro Gomez Carriles. A few years later, Arenas is diagnosed with AIDS, and after spending several years suffering he dies in 1990.
Cast
edit- Javier Bardem as Reinaldo Arenas
- Olivier Martinez as Lázaro Gómez Carriles
- Johnny Depp as Bon Bon / Lt. Víctor
- Héctor Babenco as Virgilio Piñera
- Andrea Di Stefano as Pepe Malas
- Santiago Magill as Tomás Diego
- John Ortiz as Juan Abreu
- Manuel González as José Lezama Lima
- Francisco Gattorno as Jorge Camacho
- Marisol Padilla Sánchez as Margarita Camacho
- Michael Wincott as Herberto Zorilla Ochoa
- Pedro Armendáriz Jr. as Reinaldo's Grandfather
- Sean Penn as Cuco Sanchez
- Najwa Nimri as Fina Zorilla Ochoa
- Diego Luna as Carlos
- Cy and Olmo Schnabel as Reinaldo's classmates
- Vito Maria Schnabel as Teenage Reinaldo
- Lola Schnabel as Girl with keys
- Stella Schnabel as Valeria
- Jack and Esther G. Schnabel as Mr. and Mrs. Greenberg
- Olatz López Garmendia as Mrs. Arenas
Production
editJulian Schnabel got the idea of making Before Night Falls immediately after making Basquiat; however, it took four years to actually produce the film.[5]
Bardem spent one-and-a-half months in New York City with Arenas's best friend, Lazaro Gomez Carriles, taking two hours a day to study how Arenas walked and talked.[6]
Reception
editCritical response
editOn review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 74% approval rating based on 101 reviews and an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's consensus states: "An impressionistic, fragmented look at Reinaldo Arenas, Before Night Falls' imagery manages to evoke a sense of the writer's artistry, and Bardem's strong performance holds the film together. Finally, a biopic done well."[7] Metacritic reports an 85 out of 100 rating based on 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]
Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four, stating, "One is reminded a little of the Marquis de Sade, as portrayed in Quills. It was never simply what they wrote, but that, standing outside convention, taunting the authorities, inhabiting impossible lives, they wrote at all."[9] Peter Travers from Rolling Stone awarded the film a full five out of five stars, writing, "In uniting to honor Arenas, Bardem and Schnabel create something extraordinary."[10]
Box office
editThe film opened in eight venues on December 22, 2000, and earned $85,230 in its first weekend, ranking #34 in the North American box office.[11] The film received a wide release on February 23, 2001.[12]
Before Night Falls grossed $4.2 million in the US and $4.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $8.5 million[3] from an estimated $20 million budget.[2]
Accolades
edit| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[13] | Best Actor | Javier Bardem | Nominated |
| ALMA Awards | Outstanding Feature Film | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Latino Cast in a Feature Film | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Soundtrack or Compilation for Television and Film | Nominated | ||
| American Film Institute Awards[14] | Top 10 Movies of the Year | Won | |
| Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Javier Bardem | Nominated |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards[15] | Best Actor | 2nd Place | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards[16] | Best Actor | Nominated | |
| Chlotrudis Awards[17] | Best Actor | Nominated | |
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film – Limited Release | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards[18] | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Javier Bardem | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards[19] | Best Feature | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Julian Schnabel | Nominated | |
| Best Male Lead | Javier Bardem | Won | |
| Best Cinematography | Xavier Pérez Grobet and Guillermo Rosas | Nominated | |
| Latin ACE Awards | Cinema – Best Actor | Javier Bardem | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards[20] | Best Actor | Runner-up | |
| National Board of Review Awards[21] | Top 10 Films | 6th Place | |
| Best Actor | Javier Bardem | Won | |
| Freedom of Expression | Won | ||
| National Society of Film Critics Awards[22] | Best Actor | Javier Bardem | Won |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards[23] | Best Actor | Runner-up | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards[24] | Best Actor | Nominated | |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | |
| Political Film Society Awards | Exposé | Won | |
| Human Rights | Nominated | ||
| Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards | Best Foreign Actor | Javier Bardem | Nominated |
| SESC Film Festival | Best Foreign Actor (Audience Award) | Won | |
| Best Foreign Actor (Critics Award) | Won | ||
| Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards[25] | Best Actor | Won[a] | |
| Venice International Film Festival[26] | Golden Lion | Julian Schnabel | Nominated |
| Grand Jury Prize | Won | ||
| OCIC Award – Honorable Mention | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Javier Bardem | Won | |
| Rota Soundtrack Award | Carter Burwell | Won | |
| World Soundtrack Awards[27] | Soundtrack Composer of the Year | Nominated | |
| Best Original Score of the Year | Nominated | ||
Notes
edit- ^ Tied with Michael Douglas for Wonder Boys.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Before Night Falls". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^ a b "Before Night Falls". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 2017-04-01. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ a b "Before Night Falls (2000)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ Before Night Falls cinetropic.com.
- ^ Director Interview Jan-April 2001.
- ^ "US". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 24, 2011.
- ^ "Before Night Falls". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "Before Night Falls reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "Before Night Falls Movie Review (2001)". Ebert, Roger. February 2, 2001.
- ^ "Before Night Falls - Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. June 4, 2001.
- ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for December 22-25, 2000". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. December 26, 2000.
- ^ "Before Night Falls (2000) - Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "The 73rd Academy Awards (2001) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ "AFI Awards 2000". Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ "BSFC Winners: 2000s". Boston Society of Film Critics. 27 July 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association. January 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "8th Annual Chlotrudis Awards". Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ "Before Night Falls – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "36 Years of Nominees and Winners" (PDF). Independent Spirit Awards. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "The 26th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "2000 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics. 19 December 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "2000 New York Film Critics Circle Awards". New York Film Critics Circle. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
- ^ "5th Annual Film Awards (2000)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "2000 SEFA Awards". sefca.net. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Awards nytimes.com.
- ^ "World Soundtrack Awards". World Soundtrack Awards. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
