The Art of Survival in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Rating: 9/10 (1 March 2014)

The fact it supposedly took nearly twenty years to bring the true story of Ron Woodroof to the screen is a somber fact which has not muted its impact over time. This heart wrenching chronicle of one man's desperate attempts against all odds features marvelous performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.
It is 1985 in Dallas, Texas, and rodeo rider, Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), has an accident and ends up in the hospital where he learns he has the HIV virus which causes AIDs, a death sentence which, according to his doctor, gives him thirty days to live and put his affairs in order. Stunned by the news, which heretofore was a sexually transmitted disease among homosexuals, Ron learns the grim truth about AIDs, a growing global epidemic. What's worse is the lack of any effective treatment even as trials for the experimental drug AZT begin via the Food and Drug Administration. Frustrated by ineffective drugs and running out of time, Ron takes matters in his own hands and begins to research the disease and travels to Mexico and other exotic locations for possible answers. He tries drug and vitamin combinations, a kind of AIDs cocktail, and begins to sell these to others. He even finds a way to circumvent the law forbidding his selling drugs by offering memberships. Helped by a fellow AIDs patient, Rayon (Jared Leto), his 'clinic' sees an explosion in membership as his cocktail gains in popularity. As the FDA and the IRS attempt to shut down his operation, he wages a one man fight against the forces that would close his enterprise and a hope for AIDs patients.
It is interesting that the world has come a long way in the treatment and survivability of AIDs, but back then there were severely limited resources. Also the stigma and intolerance of being gay was more pronounced. Ron's homophobic reactions evolve over time in a very convincing, realistic way, and he is affected and transformed to the point where he even takes on Rayon as an unlikely business partner and even friend. That relationship, that unlikely pairing, is what makes the story fascinating and at times poignant.
That it took a deadly malady to give his a life purpose and definition is the supreme irony. By no means a saint, he has casual sex partners when he isn't snorting cocaine or boozing it up, and when he isn't scamming a buck, utters a plethora of profanities when it suits him. He is a survivor and hustler who proves his resourcefulness in obtaining his drugs and vitamins even resorting to disguises, schmoozing, and legal maneuvering.
McConaughey (Contact, The Lincoln Lawyer) lost as much as 47 pounds for this role to depict the AIDs ravaged survivor; it's the role of a lifetime. Leto (Requiem for a Dream) equally excels as the transvestite and drug addict who befriends Ron and provides a window into the world of gays and more potential clients. Jennifer Garner registers a strong performance as a sympathetic doctor caught between treatment controversies.
You almost wish that the filmmakers (director Jean-Marc Vallée and screenwriters Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack) had expanded upon the machinations of the FDA and pharmaceutical drug companies which held sway over life and death particularly in a standout scene near the end as Ron confronts the FDA in front of an audience. But this is primarily an intimate portrayal of a rebel, one whose self discovery leads to remarkable action and a profound effect on many others.
You do wish some of the plot lines had been more developed. For instance, Ron's police friend, Tucker, has a scene with his elderly father involving a drug; it would have been nice to develop that subplot which figures later when Ron needs help in a sticky situation.
The film is a low budget production, but that enhances its realism. A bittersweet story full of the charm and vigor that McConaughey brings to Ron Woodroof, Dallas Buyers Club lingers long after its closing credits as a testament of an imperfect person in an impossible situation who left a memorable mark.