Wonderful story, Wonderful acting. Wonderful movie.

Rating: 9/10 (6 March 2014)

In Dallas Buyers Club, Mathew McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, a Texan who in 1985 tested positive for HIV. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, Dallas Buyers Club is undoubtedly one of the year's best films.
Ron Woodroof is an electrician, as well as a rodeo cowboy. One day he wakes up in a hospital bed and the doctors tell him that he is diagnosed with AIDS, and has 30 days left. He finds out about a drug called AZT which is still in the testing phase, but thought to prolong the life of AIDS patients. He ends up taking some AZT in unmonitored doses. But when his condition worsens, he goes to a Doctor in New Mexico who gives him some unapproved medicine that's actually better. Woodroof then takes it upon himself to smuggle the medicine into Dallas.
Seeing how Woodroof lived his life, Whether it's doing drugs or having sex in the place where they keep the bulls (I've later found out it's called a bucking chute), you can see why he got AIDS. Back then people thought of AIDS as the "Gay Disease" so it's no wonder all his friends assume Woodroof is a homosexual thus turning their backs on him. Friends like these, huh? Later on, Woodroof meets Rayon, a trans-woman who is also HIV positive, and of course Woodroof is disgusted by her at first. But after some time spent with each other, they end up opening the Dallas Buyers Club where you don't buy the drugs, you buy a membership and get the drugs for free.
First off, you can't talk about the movie without marveling at how good the acting is. Mathew McConaughey, who for the longest time was just another pretty boy whose filmography consisted of the same generic romantic comedies, really stepped up his game in 2013 with the release of Mud and Dallas Buyers Club. I honestly never knew he was such a good actor and he rapidly became one of the actors that I look forward to the most. The movie also marks the return of Jared Leto to the big screen after a five year absence. Leto plays the role of Rayon, a transgender who is also diagnosed with AIDS. Now Leto has been in good movies before and has delivered some fine performances, but I think it's safe to say that this is definitely his best yet. Jennifer Garner is also in the movie playing the role of Dr. Eve Saks.
Both McConaughey and Leto lost a lot of weight for their roles. We've seen this before from Actors and Actresses like Christian Bale in The Machinist, Michael Fassbender in Hunger, and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby. Jared Leto also went through a body transformation for a role before when he gained 67 pounds for the movie Chapter 27. Where he played Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's killer.
All the good acting wouldn't have meant anything if the director doesn't know what he's doing. Thankfully Jean-Marc Vallée does know what he's doing, and he's done a very good job. The movie has this raw, gritty and dirty vibe to it that really works to its advantage.
Dallas Buyer Club is a powerful movie that sticks with you. Ron Woodroof was a man who got handed the short stick in life and decided to try and fight it, or die trying with his boots on. Great movie that everyone should see.