A good film anchored by strong performances.

Rating: 7/10 (17 February 2014)

Aids, Dallas Buyers Club, Drug Treatment, Film Review, HIV, Homophobia, Jared Leto, Jean-Marc Vallee, Jennifer Garner, Mattew McConaughey, Movie Review, Pharmaceutical Industry, Rodeo, Ron Woodroof
Dallas Buyers Club – 15/02/2014 @ The Watershed, Bristol.
February 17, 2014
Apparently that chest beating chant which Matthew McConaughey teaches Leonardo Di Caprio in the film 'The Wolf of Wall Street' is based on his real life warm up rituals which take place before a scene. If it produces performances like this, it is definitely something he should keep up as his performance as Ron Woodroof is incredible. Through physical transformation and commitment to his character, he really embodies the role, making the character believable and increasingly likable as the film goes on.
Ron Woodroof is the hard drinking, fast living, macho redneck who possesses racist and homophobic views. He is a rodeo bull rider who enjoys what this lifestyle brings to him, casual sex and drugs & alcohol. His macho existence is majorly interrupted when he is hospitalised due to a work related injury and is subsequently diagnosed with HIV after routine blood tests. Initially, Woodroof is in a stage of disbelief as he believes HIV is a disease which 'fa**ots' get, but after some research, realises anyone can catch it. There is a drug called ACT which is on a trial run to treat HIV, but when Woodroof refuses the treatment because it is doing nothing for him, he sets out to find alternative, non toxic treatments to prove to help himself and others who are suffering from this disease. He enlists the help of a transvestite who is also diagnosed with HIV named Rayon (Jared Leto) as she has many contacts in the gay community. Together, they help many victims and make a lot of money with their scheme which exploits a legal loophole.
The films main strength is the gradual change of Woodroof's character, from macho, homophobic redneck to more accepting and caring individual. While he is not perfect and his way of helping people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS is not entirely ethical (he only helps people who can afford his asking price) it is still a marked improvement. He goes on further and takes on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claiming that they are not doing their job properly and that they are short sighted with their funding of the apparently ineffective ACT treatment. It is a believable transformation which does not yield to cliché Hollywood sentimentality. This is testament to Matthew McConaughey's acting, as well as the fact he lost 3 stone for the role. He may win the Oscar for Best Male Performance in my opinion. Jared Leto also gives an excellent performance as I feel he works just as hard as Matthew McConaughey in terms of physical transformation. Also Jennifer Garner, although out-shined by the aforementioned performances is also good as Dr Eve Saks, a Doctor who sympathises with Woodroof's mission.
The film making itself may be a little scrappy at times, but with it's balance of humour, drama and sadness, it is a watchable and effective film with strong performances and a thought provoking subject matter which leaves you questioning the motives of the pharmaceutical industry.
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