Spanning several decades, this powerful biopic offers a glimpse into the life of famed Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas, an artist who was vilified for his homosexuality in Fidel Castro's Cuba.
Acting
Bardem's Oscar-nominated transformation—pure wounded dignity
Cinematography
Schnabel's painterly eye makes suffering almost beautiful
Writing
Arenas's own words woven throughout, unapologetically literary
Director
Julian Schnabel
Javier Bardem
Reinaldo Arenas
Olivier Martinez
Lazaro Gomez Carilles
Johnny Depp
Bon Bon / Lieutenant Victor
Andrea Di Stefano
Pepe Malas
Santiago Magill
Tomas Diego
John Ortiz
Juan Abreu
Héctor Babenco
Virgilio Pinera
Francisco Gattorno
Jorge Camacho
Marisol Padilla Sánchez
Margarita Camacho
Michael Wincott
Herberto Zorilla Ochoa
Sean Penn
Cuco Sanchez
Najwa Nimri
Fina Zorilla Ochoa
Diego Luna
Carlos
Diahnne Abbott
Blanca Romero
Jerzy Skolimowski
Professor
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bardem spent months learning Cuban dialect and wore a dental prosthetic to match Arenas's actual teeth.
Arenas's memoir was banned in Cuba until 2010; this film remains one of the few mainstream depictions of Castro's persecution of gay artists.
US
