Phenomenal Acting

Rating: 10/10 (9 February 2014)

This was an excellently performed film and, indeed, about an era I remember well, but would, in fact, like to forget. It was a time when the gay male friends I knew were feared even by me--a lifetime lefty liberal seemingly humane and empathetic. I remember reading the headlines of this new so called "gay cancer" that grabbed my attention as I made sure not to drink from my gay male friend's glass or even let him use my soap. I am ashamed of all this now. We did not know and let fear and stupidity rule the day like Arthur Miller's crucible told of witches, and demons and man's feeble attempt to deal with that which he did not understand. We think in our era we are better than that but no I suspect we are the same as we continue to see the other demonized and even killed.
This film, a true story, is as riveting as it is sad. Sad that we as a nation wasted precious time because we could not look at the ugliness of AIDS and we could not stop thinking it was a gay disease. It wasn't just a gay disease it was an every man's disease as the virus made no exception just for gays. So many would not touch those we deemed untouchable. It was an era of ignorance, hatred, and vicious homophobia as if it were not enough that gays of that time hated themselves and did not need the mark of Cain or the scarlet letter to fuel the fans of hatred already entrenched.
Matthew McConaughey was brilliant. The Best Actor Academy Award category will be a hard one from which to choose, indeed, as those nominated are excellent in their own right but McConaughey is no less so. Jared Leto as supporting actor won the Golden Globe award and may win the Academy Award as well. He was superb.
This may be a difficult to watch film but it is a necessary to watch film as we try, however, feebly, to exorcise our own demons and frailties from our souls.