The true story of Ron Woodroof, who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1985 and worked outside the law to get AIDS patients the treatment they needed.
BIOPIC/DRAMA
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Dallas Buyers Club (2013)Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
Written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Denis O'Hare, Steve Zahn, Michael O'Neill, Griffin Dunne Oscar Wins - Best Actor (Matthew McConaughey), Best Supporting Actor (Jared Leto), Best Makeup Oscar Nominations - Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing |
AIDS has been a death sentence ever since it first appeared. For many years, in the beginning, doctors didn't know what to expect. Treatment was scarce because it was new and deadly. Most people thought you could only get it if you were gay. That's what Ron Woodroof thought, until he got it. He was given experimental FDA-approved meds, but all they did was push him closer to death. He began to try out non-FDA-approved vitamins and foreign meds, all of which helped him but made him a target for the FDA. Regardless, Woodroof started selling his own treatments to other AIDS patients, helping hundreds of people. Dallas Buyers Club tells his story, and it is a sad but inspiring one.
McConaughey delivers one hell of a transformative performances as Woodroof. He lost nearly 50 pounds for the role, and proved to Hollywood he was far more than just the goofy Texas romcom guy. Alongside him is Jared Leto, who is just as fantastic, transforming in his own right to play Rayon, a transgender AIDS patient who helps Woodroof's scheme and befriends him. The best part of the movie is watching Woodroof learn to understand and respect homosexuals, particularly Rayon. The scene where Woodroof stands up for him at the grocery store had me smiling. Both actors walked away with Oscar gold for their trouble, and both were well-deserved. Dallas Buyers Club is a fascinating true story of the little guy fucking over capitalism to do things his own way. It paints the FDA and our medical system in the worst light, showing how profits have always mattered over peoples' lives. While AIDS is now treatable, it still isn't curable. While no longer a certified death sentence, it is still a life sentence. If there wasn't so much money to be found in treating a disease, we might actually work harder to cure them. |