Before Night Falls

Based on Reinaldo Arenas’ biography, Before Night Falls is the story about the life of the Cuban poet/novelist who was openly gay at a time when the political situation in Cuba was tense as homosexuality was considered very taboo. Directed by Julian Schnabel and screenplay by Schnabel, Cunningham O’Keefe, and Lazaro Gomez Carriles, the film is an exploration on the life of a man who would have a profound view of the world as he would write his experiences in and out of Cuba through his work as he is played by Javier Bardem. Also starring Olivier Martinez, Hector Babenco, Andrea Di Stefano, Santiago Magill, Michael Wincott, Sean Penn, and Johnny Depp. Before Night Falls is a ravishing and mesmerizing film from Julian Schnabel.

The film explores the life and works of Reinaldo Arenas through key periods in his life from coming of age during the Cuban Revolution to being a dissident over his homosexuality which would lead to his exile on the Mariel Boatlift of 1980. Told largely through Arenas’ own work and his poetry, the film showcases the events that would drive Arenas to write as well as his encounters with people and political situations that would inspire him. The film is told in different parts of his life from his childhood and desire to join the Revolution in its final days as well as key events that would get him attention for his writing as well as controversy as the Cuban government believe his writing his counter-revolutionary. The film’s screenplay plays into these events including a time during the 1970s were Arenas would become a fugitive over accusations of child molestation as he would be in prison which would inspire to write his most famous novel.

The script also plays into Arenas’ encounters with men that would drive his homosexuality as well as meet the film’s co-writer Lazaro Gomez Carriles (Olivier Martinez) who would be Arenas’ partner in Arenas’ final years. The use of voice-over narration plays into a reflective tone in Arenas’ view of his life in those times while his poetry and text from his own novels would add to the narration. Much of it would play into Arenas’ growing awareness of his homosexuality where it was very taboo during the early years of the Fidel Castro-led regime in Cuba. Even as homosexuality was seen as subversive with ideas of capitalism which was frowned upon though Arenas would counter those claims as false. By the time the film reaches its third act, it does become less reflective where Arenas adjust to his new life but also in the illness that would eventually claim his life.

Julian Schnabel’s direction is very stylish for the way he presents the film with not just some unique camera angles but also with evocative images that play into a sense of visual poetry that is in line with Arenas’ words. Though the film is shot largely on location in Mexico as Cuba, it does feel like a place that was once idyllic in its landscapes in the woods and old cities that were once full of life. Even amidst this sense of political chaos that would surround Arenas as Schanbel uses old footage of Cuba during its Revolution and at a time when Castro came into power. Schnabel definitely aims for this mix of cinema verite and stylish camera work to play into Arenas’ life from his time in the beach with his gay friends where they would hustle as well as Arenas in his surroundings in the forest where crane shots and all sorts of things are used to play into the beauty of those locations.

The direction also plays into these moments where Arenas talks about how to identify gays in 1960s Cuba as well as endure attempts to get his work published outside of Cuba as his writing succumbs to censorship. Especially as he is misidentified as a child molester in the mid-1970s by a couple of youths who had stolen his things. There are intimate moments that play into Arenas’ stay in prison such as the isolation cell he is in as it’s mixed with elements of fantasy and reality to play into what he is thinking about. Once the film arrives in New York City, it sorts of starts off as a documentary film until the drama into Arenas’ ailing health starts to arrive where the film does return to a more reflective tone as it plays into Arenas’ sense of longing for Cuba and the similarities it had in the way he looks at New York City. Overall, Schnabel crafts a very intoxicating and rapturous film about the life of a gay yet brave writer.

Cinematographers Xavier Perez Grobet and Guillermo Rosas do brilliant work with the film‘s lush and colorful cinematography with its high emphasis on green and natural colors for the scenes set at the forest along with stylish lights and filters for scenes at night while using low-key lights for some of the film‘s interiors. Editor Michael Berenbaum does amazing work with the editing in its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and stock footage to play into the sense of style as well as rhythmic cuts to match the tone of Arenas‘ narration of his work. Production designer Salvador Parra, with set decorator Laurie Friedman and art director Antonio Muno-Hierro, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of some of the interior buildings including the interrogation room that Arenas would be in as well as the apartment he would have in New York City. Costume designer Maria Estela Fernandez does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that were worn in the 1960s including the stuff gay men wore as well as the tight pants and stylish shirts of the 70s they would wear to get themselves out of Cuba.

Makeup designer Ana Lozano does nice work with the look of Arenas throughout the years including his ailing look in the late 1980s where he loses bits of his hair and color in his face. Visual effects supervisor Randall Balsmeyer does terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects which is often served as set-dressing for the scenes in Cuba as well as the opening shot of the scene in New York City. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound from the way some of the music on location is played along with the prison scenes as well as the intimate moments in New York City. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is phenomenal for its soaring and lush orchestral music to play into the drama while its soundtrack that is assembled by music supervisors Susan Jacobs and Olatz Lopez Garmendia features some original score pieces by Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson plus an array of Cuban music and some ambient-based score music by Popol Vuh.

The casting by Monica Nordhaus is incredible as it includes notable small roles from Olatz Lopez Garmendia as Arenas’ mother, Pedro Armendiaz Jr. as Arenas’ grandfather, Vito Maria Schnabel as the teenage Arenas, Diego Luna as a friend of the young Arenas, Sean Penn as a farmer who would accompany the teenage Arenas to a town where Castro and his rebels were, Francisco Gattorno and Marisol Padilla Sanchez as a couple of publishers who would bring Arenas’ writing to Europe, Michael Wincott as a mentor of Arenas who would encourage him to write, Najwa Nimri as the mentor’s wife, and Hector Babenco in a terrific performance as Virgillo Pinera who would help broaden Arenas’ view on literature by giving him books by great authors in order to become a better writer. Andrea di Stefano is excellent as one of Arenas’ early lovers Pepe Malas while Santiago Magill is superb as another of Arenas’ gay friends in Tomas Diego.

Johnny Depp is brilliant in a dual role as a prison drag queen named Bon Bon who would help try to get Arenas out of prison while being a far more sinister character in Lt. Victor in a chilling interrogation scene. Olivier Martinez is fantastic as Lazaro Gomez Carriles whom Arenas would meet at one point in the 1960s only to reconnect with him in the 1970s where Carriles aspires to be a writer and later becomes Arenas’ partner and caretaker. Finally, there’s Javier Bardem in a tremendous performance as Reinaldo Arenas as this very gifted poet who sees the world around him as he creates poems and novels to express his feelings while coping with the Castro regime as it’s a performance full of charm and humor but also a melancholia as it’s one of Bardem’s great performances.

Before Night Falls is a remarkable film from Julian Schnabel that features a truly sensational performance from Javier Bardem. The film isn’t just a unique portrait into one of the most captivating writers of the 20th Century but also a look into a man trying to maintain his identity in a troubled and complicated world. In the end, Before Night Falls is an outstanding film Julian Schnabel.

Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse - Miral - At Eternity's Gate - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel

© thevoid99 2015

Sex & Lucia

Originally Written and Posted on Epinions.com on 2/14/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Written and directed by Julio Medem, Lucia y el Sexo tells the story of a waitress who travels to an island following the disappearance of her lover. Hoping to meet her boyfriend's former lover, she learns more about him which involved tragic incidents that changed the lives of everyone who is connected to the man. A mediation on tragedy, sex, and surrealism, it's one of Medem's most poignant and haunting films. Starring Paz Vega, Tristan Ulloa, Najwa Nimri, Daniel Freire, Elena Anaya, and Javier Camara. Lucia y el Sexo is a gorgeous yet haunting film from Julio Medem.

While working at a restaurant as a waitress, Lucia (Paz Vega) receives a troubling phone call from her writer boyfriend Lorenzo (Tristan Ulloa) as she's worried about his behavior in recent months. When she returns home from work, a phone call about Lorenzo along with a note that he's leaving leaves her distraught and upset. Deciding to leave Madrid to deal with Lorenzo's disappearance, she goes to an island that Lorenzo had been to six years earlier where she stayed at a hotel wanting to be alone. It was on that same island that Lorenzo had an encounter on his birthday with a woman (Najwa Nimri) that would prove to be fateful. Upon his return from the island, Lorenzo is having dinner with his friend/publisher Pepe (Javier Camara) where he meets Lucia for the first time. Lucia is a fan of Lorenzo's novels as she says that they will fall in love.

They do as they engage in a sexual affair that is playful yet loving with Lucia reading his stuff and whatever he's working as their relationship would last for years. At the island where Lucia is dealing with grief, she meets a diver named Carlos (Daniel Freire) who takes her to a place that he's staying. The home belongs to Elena, a woman who is a cook that had just moved away from Madrid several years ago. Lucia stays at the home as she recalls the period where he relationship with Lorenzo began to falter five years after they first met. It was around the time Lorenzo discovered that he has a five-year old daughter named Luna (Silvia Llanos) with the woman he had a one-night stand with six years ago. He also learned her name is Elena as he decides to see Luna for himself. He would meet Luna's nanny Belen (Elena Anaya) whom he would have an attraction with. Belen's mother (Diana Suarez) is a former porn star who had just gotten married while Belen is attracted to Lorenzo as they share a mutual love for Luna.

During a night where Belen invites Lorenzo to the house that Elena lives where Elena and her husband were out, they eat dinner with Luna. Lorenzo tells Luna a bedtime story while Belen wants to seduce Lorenzo where things go well until something horrible happens. Lorenzo becomes withdrawn all of a sudden as his behavior reflects the dark mood that he puts into a new novel he's working on. For Lucia, Lorenzo's behavior causes problems for the relationship as it has become extremely troubled. At the island, Lucia continues to wander off alone while having conversations with Elena about escapism where some mysteries unveiled along with who Carlos really is as he's also dealing with some troubles that he's dealing with. With Lucia and Elena both dealing with their own grief, some surprising developments are unveiled as well as the people involved.

The film is largely about grief in some respects but mostly about the power of sex and all of its complications. It's mostly a dramatic mystery with dabbles of eroticism that Julio Medem sets up throughout the script as it moves back and forth from present time and the past. It's a film that relies on memories as a woman deals with the moment she met this incredible man and how it later falls apart where she is now alone on an island. It's at this island where her boyfriend had a one-night stand with another woman who is now living at this same island where the protagonist and this other woman have a certain connection. The script that Julio Medem is complex where the first act is about Lucia's isolation and how she met Lorenzo and fell in love with him. There is also a subplot about Lorenzo's one night stand with Elena and the conception of Luna where the moon plays a big part.

The second act revolves around Lorenzo's discovery of Luna, his brief affair with Belen, and the tragedy they encounter along with Lucia meeting Elena and Carlos at the island. The set-up and structure Medem creates for the script in the first two acts are brilliant as he creates this dreamy yet mystical film of eroticism and mystery that would later unveil itself in the third act. The third act though plays up with a few twists that doesn't entirely work despite its emotional payoff. Yet, it would reveal the outcome for several characters involved in the film.

Medem's direction is truly dream-like from its opening credits sequence of underwater shots to the scenes he shoots in Madrid and the Formentera section of the Balearic islands. Medem's direction in its emphasis on mood reveals the differing worlds where on the island, the people are there seeking comfort from their grief while in Madrid, it's more troubling and intense in its second act though playful in its first act. The film's approach to sex is more explicit with a lot of Hollywood films as it features full-frontal nudity on both sexes while having actors do things that aren't done in Hollywood features. Particularly scenes involving sex toys and other things where in the most explicit material, Medem had to use body doubles which may seems like a cheat. Yet, it worked to create the emotional mood of the sex scenes while the real actors still display their bodies. The direction overall is truly superb from Medem as he creates a moody, impressionistic film that is haunting yet intriguing.

Cinematographer Ivan Aledo does brilliant work with the cinematography from the low-light looks of the interior and exterior nighttime scenes of the Madrid scenes awash in dark yellow lighting to the daytime scenes where it's more colorful but with heightened, tinted lighting schemes. The scenes on the island are more heightened in its tinted look in the day time exterior and interior scenes to emphasis its tone. The nighttime are more intimate and bluer shots of the moon providing a dream-like look to the photography. Editor Kiko de la Rica does great work with the editing from its emphasis on the script's structure in moving back and forth to rhythmic, jump-cut edits for some of the film's sex scenes to capture its energy and feel. Art directors James David Goldmark and Montse Sanz along with set decorator Victor Molero do excellent work with the look of Elena's guest house in all of its diverse look along with the apartment of Lorenzo filled with books and such to present the contrast of Madrid and the island.

Costume designer Estibaliz Markiegi does wonderful work with the sexy dresses Paz Vega wears along with the lingerie that Elena Ayana wears in a seduction scene along with contemporary clothing for the rest of the actors. Special effects supervisor Juan Ramon Molina with digital effects supervisor Alfonso Nieto do great work with the film's minimal visual effects sequence including recreations of the moon and the clouds that provide symbolism for the film. Sound editor Santiago Thevenet and designer Agustin Peinado do excellent work in capturing the sound of locations, notably the island with the waves and winds to provide the atmosphere for the characters and its setting. The film's music from Alberto Iglesias is wonderful for its array of moods and presentation from flute-like music to emphasize its melancholia, ambient textures for its mystery and drama, to more orchestral flourishes for more heightened, dramatic scenes.

The casting by Sara Bilbatua is excellent for its small ensemble that features Diana Suarez as Belen's ex-porn star mother and Silvia Llanos as Luna, the daughter of Elena and Lorenzo. Javier Camara is very good as Pepe, Lorenzo's friend and publisher who provides the connections and secrets that Lorenzo needed to know about Elena and Luna. Elena Anaya is really good as Belen, Luna's nanny who is attracted to Lorenzo as she tries to seduce him that would lead her to guilt over what happens as she becomes withdrawn. Ayana has a great moment in a scene where she's wearing lingerie with ass-less underwear that is just to die for. Daniel Freire is excellent as Carlos, a mysterious man who helps Lucia deal with her grief while carrying some secrets of his own.

Najwa Nimri, who previously appeared in Medem's Los Amantes del Circulo Polar, is great as Elena, a woman dealing with her own grief who takes in Lucia while helping her unveil the mystery of Lorenzo. Nimri's understated performance really shines as she is the performance that really ties the film together. Tristan Ulloa is brilliant as Lorenzo, the man everyone is connected to as he starts off as a playful, fun writer who later discovers a shocking secret that would impact his writing and life. Ulloa's performance is phenomenal for its sense of guilt and withdrawn state as he and Paz Vega have great chemistry. Finally, there's Paz Vega in her international breakthrough performance as Lucia. The woman dealing with grief while exploring her relationship with Lorenzo through good and bad times. Vega's subtle yet playful performance is intoxicating that often featured nude throughout the film while displaying the kind of vulnerability that her character is carrying throughout the film.

Lucia y el Sexo is an excellent, dream-like film from Julio Medem featuring superb performances from Paz Vega, Tristan Ulloa, and Najwa Nimri.  It's a film that is sensually intoxicating and filled with mysteries and moods that will captivate audiences. Fans of Spanish cinema will no doubt consider this film as one of the finest despite its flaws while audiences discovering Paz Vega will see her in one of her better performances away from her lackluster work in American films. In the end, for audiences that want to see a film that is dreamy yet seductive, Lucia y el Sexo is the film to watch.

(C) thevoid99 2012

Open Your Eyes

Directed by Alejandro Amenabar and written by Amenabar and Mateo Gil, Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) is the story of a young playboy whose life changes following a car crash that leaves his face disfigured. After falling for his best friend’s girlfriend, he is questioned by a psychiatrist as he starts to have trouble distinguishing real life and the dreams that he’s been having. The film serves as Amenabar’s international breakthrough as it would mark him as a new voice in Spanish cinema. Starring Eduardo Noriega, Penelope Cruz, Najwa Nimri, Fele Martinez, and Chete Lera. Abre los Ojos is an enchanting yet surreal film from Alejandro Amenabar.

After a near-fatal car accident that left his face disfigured and being questioned for murder, a young rich playboy named Cesar (Eduardo Noriega) is examined by a psychiatrist named Antonio (Chete Lera). Cesar recounts his life as a young playboy who often sleeps with different women as he just scored in his latest conquest in a woman named Nuria (Najwa Nimri). With a birthday celebration coming as a party is held for Cesar, his best friend Pelayo (Fele Martinez) arrives with his new girlfriend Sofia (Penelope Cruz) as Cesar is amazed by her. Despite dealing with Nuria’s presence, Cesar finds himself attracted to Sofia as the two have a conversation about things as she takes him to her apartment. After a fun night where Cesar didn’t actually sleep with a woman, Nuria waits for Cesar as she drives him home where Nuria’s behavior leads to a horrifying incident.

With Cesar disfigured, his life is in shambles as he talks to Antonio about the despair he went through as all the surgeries he had didn’t work. Still, Sofia and Pelayo try to help him as he is convinced that his life ends. Yet, something happens as a revolutionary surgery has arrived fixing Cesar’s face as he manages to re-connect with Sofia as the two have a romance. Then, reality starts to blur as he sees Nuria claiming to be Sofia as Cesar has no idea what is going on. After meeting a man named Duvernois (Gerard Barray) who claims that Cesar is just dreaming, Cesar refuses to believe him as things become more complicated as Antonio asks about the dream Cesar keeps having. Cesar realizes that it all has to do with all of the things that are happening him as he confronts what is blurring his idea of reality.

The film is about a young man’s life that changes following an accident as his perception of reality starts to blur as he’s dealing with dreams in his head as he’s talking to a psychiatrist. During this journey, he starts to fall for a beautiful young woman who is his best friend’s new girlfriend. While she’s not like any of the women that this young man has been with, she comes in at a time where his life is going to change but in the wrong way due to a jealous lover. Due to his despair, he sleeps into a drunken state and wakes up where things change as it adds to his own confusion about what is real and what is a dream.

Alejandro Amenabar and co-writer Mateo Gil create a film where it’s all about the idea of what dreams can do but also how they can play with reality. At the same time, it’s a character study set into a world of surrealism as Amenabar and Gil delve into what this man is going through. During the course of the film, there is a story involving cryogenic freezing from a man who talks about it as it would later become something bigger in the third act. Meanwhile, Cesar goes through this journey where he has to deal with being disfigured and then have his face back but things don’t seem perfect as it seems. The script is a mesh of various genres with a center on this man’s ordeal as he talks to a psychiatrist that is trying to piece everything together.

Amenabar’s direction is truly engaging in the way he presents the film as he goes for style a lot of the composition he brings in as it’s shot on location in Madrid and in a full-frame format. Still, he allows the film to have a wide depth of field for several shots of Madrid as some of the early dream-like sequences features a city that is truly empty. Amenabar always keeps the camera moving to maintain that surreal-like state along with a few visual effects shots to play up Cesar’s perception of reality.

At the same time, there’s some wonderful intimate moments in scenes between Cesar and Sofia where Amenabar keeps the presentation simple. Yet, the way he approaches the more intense, dramatic moments as well as the big moments such as the ending shows ambition no matter what he has to use for a film like this. Overall, this is truly a stunning yet magnificent film from Amenabar.

Cinematographer Hans Burman does an excellent job with the film‘s photography from the colorful yet entrancing look of the nightclub scene to the broad yet beautiful daytime scenes in the park where Cesar recalls a dream to Sofia that she‘s in. Editor Maria Elena Sainz de Rozas does a great job with the editing by creating a tight yet methodical approach to the pacing while using straight cuts to black and jump-cuts to play up some of the film’s suspenseful moments.

Art director Wolfgang Burmann, along with set decorators Carola Angulo and Ramon Moya, does a nice job with the set pieces created such as the room where Cesar and Antonio as well as the differing apartments that Cesar and Sofia live in. Costume designer Conha Solera does a very good job with the costumes to exemplify the personalities of the characters from the posh/casual clothes of Cesar to the stylish clothes that Sofia wears. Makeup designer Paca Almenara does an amazing job with the makeup for Cesar‘s disfigured face which plays up the trouble emotions of Cesar. Sound designers Daniel Goldstein and Ricardo Steinberg do a fantastic job with the sound to capture the sparse texture of empty Madrid and other intimate moments to more layered work in crowd-driven scenes.

The film’s score by director Alejandro Amenabar and Mariano Marin is superb for its orchestral score filled with heavy arrangements for the suspenseful pieces as well as more low-key somber cuts for the light-dramatic moments. The film’s soundtrack also includes an array of alt-rock cuts and some electronic pieces by acts like Massive Attack and Sneaker Pimps for the club scenes that is prevalent in the film as the overall music work is great.

The film’s terrific cast includes an appearance from Jorge de Juan as an executive late in the film as well as Gerard Barray as the mysterious man that appears on the TV that Cesar later meets at a club. Najwa Nimri is excellent as the sexy yet mysterious Nuria who confronts Cesar about his womanizing while playing mind games with him. Fele Martinez is very good as Cesar’s friend Pelayo who tries to deal with Cesar’s interest towards Sofia. Chete Lera is superb as Antonio, Cesar’s psychiatrist who tries to figure out his mood and the dreams that he’s been having as it’s a very brazen yet charismatic performance.

Eduardo Noriega is great as Cesar, the young playboy whose life is shattered by an accident as he seems to try and figure out what to do only to have trouble in distinguishing reality and fiction. It’s a very complex yet exhilarating performance from Noriega who starts off as charming and a bit un-likeable only to wear makeup for his disfigurement and to convey the despair that he’s going through in this amazing performance. Finally, there’s Penelope Cruz in a radiant performance as Sofia as Cruz brings a wonderful sense of charm and wit to her character. Notably in a scene where she does mime work that is just amazing to watch while she has some great chemistry with Noriega for the way they talk and react to each other in a very naturalistic, relaxed approach as it’s one Cruz’s finest performances.

Abre los Ojos is a spectacular yet mind-bending film from Alejandro Amenabar that features brilliant performances from Eduardo Noriega and Penelope Cruz. For anyone that is interested in the works of Amenabar should definitely check this out as it’s also one of the most daring and ambitious sci-fi dramas of the 1990s. The film is also worth seeking out for those that had seen Cameron Crowe’s 2001 remake Vanilla Sky to see what Crowe expanded on as it also featured Cruz in the same role. In the end, Abre los Ojos is a thrilling yet hypnotic film from Alejandro Amenabar.

Alejandro Amenabar Films: Thesis - The Others - The Sea Inside - Agora - Regression - The Auteurs #51: Alejandro Amenabar

© thevoid99 2011