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    WSR Detailed DVD Review
    Before Night Falls


    Genre: Drama

    Reviewed In Issue 50 (July 2001) Of Widescreen Review®

    Stars:
    Javier Bardem, Olivier Martinez, Andrea Di Stefano, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, John Ortiz, Santiago Magill, Michael Wincott, Najwa Nimri, Alfredo Villa, Rene Rivera, Maurice Compte, Vincent Laresca, Olatz Lopez Garmendia, Vito Maria Schnabel, Patricia REyes Spindola, Pedro Armendariz, Ofelia Medina,

    WSR Review Scores
    WSR Picture Rating: 3.5
    DD Sound Rating: 3.5
    DTS Sound Rating: NA
    Download WSR Review
    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score: 4
    Internet Links
    http://www.newline.com
    Special Features
    Includes audio commentary with director Julian Schnabel, star Javier Bardem, screenwriter Lazaro Gomez Carriles, composer Carter Burwell, and co-cinematographer Xavier Perez Grobet. Also offers three documentary shorts including one with interview excerpts from the real Reinaldo Arenas in the 1984 documentary,


     DVD General Information

    (Studio/Distributor): New Line Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number): N5251
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price): $24.98
    (DVD Type): Single Side, Dual Layer (DVD9)
    (Widescreen Edition): Yes
    (Full Screen Edition): No
    (Anamorphic Widescreen): Yes
    (Running Time In Minutes): 133
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Regional Coding): 1
    (Theatrical Year): 2000
    (Theatrical Release): Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release): No
    (DVD Release Date): 05/22/01
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

     Credits Information

    (Director): Julian Schnabel
    (Screenplay/Written By): Subscribe Now!
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      DVD Picture Information

    (Principal Photography): Subscribe Now!
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    (Measured DVD Anamorphic Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!
    (Measured DVD Letterbox Aspect Ratio): Subscribe Now!

      DVD Sound Information

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      WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Based on the memoir by exiled Cuban novelist Reinaldo Arenas, Before Night Falls is a powerful biography that stars Javier Bardem as the talented and tortured Arenas and chronicles his struggles in Cuba, and later, America. Thinking that Fidel Castro would make a positive difference to the poverty-stricken families

    DVD Picture:
    The anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 DVD picture is generally sharp and nicely detailed. The picture has a slightly dark character, and contrast can seem a bit low at times. Colors exhibit good balance, and can be rich and deeply saturated, with stylized overtones, and natural fleshtones, but other scenes are wanting in color saturation. Edge enhancement is evident on occasion. Noise and artifacts are noticed sporadically throughout the picture. (Suzanne Hodges)

    Soundtrack:
    The Dolby

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