An ultimate character study that shows us how one man can evolve and live with dignity

Rating: 9/10 (7 February 2014)

"Dallas Buyer's Club" is about Ron Woodroof, a man who works as an electrician and moonlights as a rodeo rider. To say in the least, this film is a character study. The opening scene sets the standard for what type of guy Ron is—a sleazy drug abuser and alcoholic who enjoys threesomes with beautiful girls. He is your typical white-trash Texan hick. However, when he turns up HIV positive, or as he calls a "faggot disease," this puts him in a situation of desperation. He heads to Mexico in hopes of obtaining a new experimental medication. He later befriends a modestly polite trans-gendered man named Rayon and starts a business with him, which involves smuggling non-FDA approved drugs for AIDS patients and selling them, dubbing this business as The Dallas Buyer's Club.
While Ron's character is anything but admirable, his actions prove otherwise. He goes above and beyond to what was initially only helping himself into an individual who cares and assists for those he once discriminated. He evolves and becomes a passionate and larger than life character. Facing imminent death either brings out either the best or worst in us. It is the former with Ron. It's more than comprehensible as to why McConaughey has earned the recognition he has been receiving for his performance. He immerses himself into this person's persona with flawless perfection and he carries the film with bold energy. Viewers might as well forget about the dreadful movies he has made in the past years. This is a new, reborn actor altogether. To make me enjoy a character that I would not normally like in real life is awe- inspiring. Bravo Mr. McConaughey. Bravo!
Jared Leto as Rayon takes acting to a new level. Who would have thought that an actor who has not been in a movie for four years could transform his appearance, voice, mannerisms, and personality into a unique character like Rayon? Perhaps even the sturdiest method actors could not master this challenge and Leto does so with finesse. He is a real screen stealer and he plays his character with stark empathy and even a hint of pity. He gives us someone we can care about. I honestly could not get enough of him. I wish he had been given much more screen time. Jennifer Garner fills in as a backseat rider, playing the doctor who tries to help Ron and Rayon. Though she does not achieve greatness as McConaughey or Leto, she does make a likable and emotional character.
The visual style relies heavily on a documentary-esque technique—mostly hand-held filmed under natural lighting conditions with field/on-location audio recording (note: making some of the dialog hard to hear at times). The cinematographer captures the film's plot with tight close- ups and other claustrophobic-like angles, forcing the audience into the uncomfortable, emotionally intense situations of the characters. The editing progresses the story relatively decently, but it feels rushed in some subplots and overly drawn out in others. The high-pitched frequency sound effect used to emphasis the progressing illness/AIDS symptoms and growing disorientation of the main character adds another measure of subliminal feeling.
"Dallas Buyer's Club" is not a movie meant for everyone, especially for people sensitive towards homosexuals and perhaps even die-hard neo-conservatives. Nor is this a fun one to watch on a day-to-day basis. This is a film that stands on goodness and shows us that despite all circumstances, one man can change and try to make a positive difference for others who cannot. It also shows us that people like Ron Woodroof will not go down in death without dignity or a fight. 9/10
This is one of the best films of the year.