Dallas Buyers Club
Overall rating: 4.5 stars
Featuring magical performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club is a deft, sensitive look at what is (still) one of the world's biggest problems, all the more empowered by the dramatic transformations of the two leads.
Dallas Buyers Club tells the story of Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), a HIV sufferer given only 30 days to live. Unhappy with the medication given to him, he teams up with Rayon (Jared Leto), a transgender woman also diagnosed with HIV, to give other people with HIV better medication. This medication is, of course, illicit and trouble ensues as he attempts to wind his way around the law.
The film's power is in its characters. It succeeds best when it focuses on their intriguing lives and the power of their stories. It's hard to explain how brilliant both McConaughey and Leto are (they're virtually locks for their respective Oscar categories this year) and they carry the film, utilising both their star power and acting chops to great effect.
It's certainly not a subject to be taken lightly and it isn't. Director Jean-Marc Vallée handles the subject with deft sensitivity and undeniable grace, but is never afraid to dig a little deeper than most, helped by McConaughey's vulnerability. One of the most affecting parts of the film for me was the persistent ringing, present whenever Woodroof is in notable pain. There was something oddly chilling about it and it's perhaps the most memorable part about the entire film, outside of the two lead performances.
It's good old fashioned story-telling, made on a minute budget and driven by its characters, not fancy visuals or any kind of gimmick. Dallas Buyers Club rises above what could have been a sappy, Oscar-bait movie in different hands, to become a moving and engrossing look at a fascinating character.
It's certainly not a subject to be taken lightly and it isn't. Director Jean-Marc Vallée handles the subject with deft sensitivity and undeniable grace, but is never afraid to dig a little deeper than most, helped by McConaughey's vulnerability. One of the most affecting parts of the film for me was the persistent ringing, present whenever Woodroof is in notable pain. There was something oddly chilling about it and it's perhaps the most memorable part about the entire film, outside of the two lead performances. It's good old fashioned story-telling, made on a minute budget and driven by its characters, not fancy visuals or any kind of gimmick. Dallas Buyers Club rises above what could have been a sappy, Oscar-bait movie in different hands, to become a moving and engrossing look at a fascinating character.
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