I caught this movie about Reinaldo Arenas, the gay Cuban poet who died of
AIDS impoverished in New York, suffocated by the love of his life, who
never loved him, on Valentine's Day. Perfect antidote to that
heterosexist bullshit. Schnabel gives us a no-frills Cuba of harsh
light and politics, taking seriously Arenas' combination of
autobiography and (sexual) fantasy that won him prizes everywhere
except his native land. Bardem scorches and shimmies perfectly into
role. Depp's double-cameo as transvestite prostitute and sadistic
prison guard have earned this movie the attention it deserves for its
no-holds-barred exploration of the writing life.
