Off The Prescription

Rating: 9/10 (7 May 2014)

Dallas Buyers Club has a point about legitimate hospitals lacking legitimacy on their medical guarantees. Once the biggest pharmaceutical has become the majority's only reliance, they can easily manipulate their patients. Their agenda isn't the main focus though; we just know that there is a conspiracy theory behind the American clinical government towards the AIDS issue. That part of priceless cynicism instantly caught my attention, but the message doesn't aim there, because definitely this is a dramatized biography of Ron Woodroof who struggles with his condition and fights against their sneaky plan. Taking us to his personal realm is quite mesmerizing. Probably a little more slice of power could make it a lot satisfying, but the phenomenal acting and clever direction already makes the overall film gripping.
The very beginning already shows the example source of Woodroof's disease. In other areas of his life, he just goes through a loop cycle from rodeo bets to drug saddling. The guy doesn't seem to value his life until he finds out his condition after an accident at his work. The main arc of the character is basically how human beings will always fight for their lives, even when their luck has nowhere to go. The first act of the story is simply a powerful one, mostly because of the well handled performance of Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey lets the audience ride with Ron's hustler adventures and personal feelings, which makes a totally compelling character study.
The next acts finally follow the most intriguing topic of them all. This is when he starts smuggling the illegal-yet-functional drugs for the AIDS victims which leads to the titular club. What makes this effective is it's how straightforward the schemes are. The information comes around, but it doesn't over explain stuff. It just lets the audience casually figure out what both Ron and the hospital are up to. The film also has a sentiment about how unfair for homosexuals getting the harsh blame for the disease. Although it wanted to care about the victims, Rayon is the only example that gives all the sympathy because the rest of them are mostly faceless. Jared Leto is the heart of the film and of course he steals all of his scenes, in an affecting way. The direction is pretty basic, but the lack of grander visual flair gives real value to the character moments.
Dallas Buyers Club is no doubt a very interesting movie. Very minor things to complain however are the facelessness of the other club members or probably some subplots that deserve a more impacting consideration. Well nevertheless, it is still an engaging film, mainly about an unlikely determination to live even without much of a plan or ambition for his future. Plus a background of antagonizing a more authorized medical company that could be a topic worth talking about. Or that's probably just me too hooked with the subject. But really, every bit of it is just interesting.