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Dallas Buyers Club


And following on from American Hustle here is the second review of a film currently in cinemas (at least here in the UK).

So far in this thread I've dedicated reviews to many of my regulars (honeykid, mark f, Gunslinger, Rodent, Miss Vicky etc). Well I'd like to dedicate this one to Sexy Celebrity. He probably can't be bothered to even read it! and he'll certainly think it should be rated higher but I know he's a big fan of it.



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Year of release
2013

Directed by
Jean-Marc Vallée

Written by
Craig Borten
Melisa Wallack

Starring
Matthew McConaughey
Jared Leto
Jennifer Garner
Denis O'Hare
Griffin Dunne
Michael O'Neill


Dallas Buyers Club

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Plot - Dallas, 1985. Electrician, occasional rodeo rider and strict homophobe Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) is shocked and horrified when he is diagnosed as being HIV-positive and given just 30 days to live. Refusing to accept the death sentence that has been dealt his way he begins to read whatever research he can get his hands on, leading him to the drug AZT which is currently in clinial trials. Despite pleading to his attending physician Dr. Saks (Garner) she informs him that she cannot get him a supply of the drug or into the trials. So Ron decides to get the drugs himself by whatever means necessary, eventually leading him to Mexico and Dr. Vass (Dunne). Dr. Vass however does not supply him with AZT, believing it to do more harm than good, and instead gives him a cocktail of other drugs and vitamins which have not been approved in the US by the FDA. Taking notice of the improvement in his health, Ron strikes a deal with Dr. Vass and begins smuggling these drugs back across the border into the US. He begins to sell the drugs to other affected inviduals, eventually establishing a partnership with an HIV-positive transgendered woman by the name of Rayon (Leto). While not an amicable relationship to begin with it does prove fruitful as they establish a 'buyers club' that sells memberships to HIV+ patients and then gives the drugs away for free in an attempt to avoid breaking the law. This doesn't satisfy the FDA however who begin to target him and his operation.

While I'm aware that I am unlikely to be the first person to draw a comparison between this film and Jonathan Demme's 1993 hit, Philadelphia, I really do think the similarities between them are quite strong, beyond the obvious link they share in their Aids-driven narratives. Just as with Philadelphia I wouldn't say that this is an especially great film on its own merits. It is told in a fairly straightforward, conventional manner with its plot unfolding in a predictable manner that offers little in the way of surprise. In many ways it could even be viewed as unexceptional. Also like Philadelphia however, the film features two performances that are anything but. And it's those performances which give this film its power and vitality, and that make it a film that deserves to be seen. I can't remember where it was now but I read a review recently that concluded by saying that this was “a 3 star film with 5 star performances”, and I'd certainly say there is something to that.

The first performance I have to talk about is of course the astonishing turn from Matthew McConaughey in the film's central role of Ron Woodroof, the purveyor of the titular Dallas Buyers Club. It has been a while since I've seen a film whose main character is so spectacularly unlikeable. For the large majority of the film Ron is a pretty despicable individual, completely devoid of any redeeming features. He is the absolute epitome of the term 'trailer trash.' A homophobic drunk with a drug addiction and a propensity for cheap, tawdry sex there is absolutely nothing to admire here. And yet you can't help but start to like him (even if you may hate yourself for it initially) because you do admire his sheer will to survive and to fight. As is a commonly known fact, there are five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Across the film's running time we see Ron hit every one of these stages (even if it is sometimes in an unconventional manner - see the prayer he offers up to God while sitting at a strip club as a naked woman gyrates in front of him); every stage that is except for acceptance. No matter the diagnosis and words of warnings from doctors he continues to fight it. I just love his rage towards everything; the disease, the doctors, the medical profession, his friends who turn on him etc. The most obvious aspect of McConaughey's performance is without a doubt the dramatic physical toll that he put himself through for the role. Having dropped close to 50 pounds there is no doubt that his gaunt frame cuts a striking and troubling figure. It would do so for any actor, but to see one of the men so often acclaimed as one of the sexiest in the world look so dreadful really does add to its power. To focus solely on the weight loss and not see beyond it however would be a sin as its a tremendous, powerful and utterly electric performance. The best thing I could say about it is just how real and natural a performance it is. He conveys this incredibly relaxed nature as if he isn't really trying.

Film Trivia Snippets - Following a 1992 article about Ron Woodroof in The Dallas Morning News, and just a month before he died, Ron was interviewed by Craig Borten in the hopes of creating a screenplay about him. Borten recorded many hours of interviews with Woodroof and was also given access to his personal journals. Borten went through 10 drafts of the script before he attempted to get the film made in the mid 1990s when Dennis Hopper was attached to direct with Woody Harrelson in the role of Ron Woodroof. The project fell through at the time when it was unable to secure financial backing. Jared Leto has admitted that he was actually sent a script at the time but never read it. /// Following this a couple of other director/actor duos attempted to get the project off the ground. In the late 1990s Marc Foster circled the project with the intention of Brad Pitt fulfilling the role of Ron, and then in 2008 director Craig Gillespie and Ryan Gosling were in talks with producers until Vallée and McConaughey signed on. //// Ron Woodroof's sister was reportedly very pleased with the eventual casting of McConaughey in the role of her brother. Having shown earlier concern when Pitt and Gosling were attached, she was delighted that McConaughey became involved because she felt he shared a similar swagger and personality.
If McConaughey is the fire and fury that drives the film, then it is Jared Leto who provides the heart and soul as transgendered Rayon, a fellow Aids sufferer. If Ron is spectacularly unlikeable then Rayon is the complete opposite. From her first moment on screen you find yourself just loving this fascinating and unique character of such vitality and energy. Rayon really could be the poster-child for the sentiment “we're here, we're queer, get used to it!” Even in this close-minded and homophobic environment she is never anything less than herself. Even against all of the looks and comments she garners she never lets it dissuade her. Though behind closed doors we do see a more troubled and tragic side as she resorts to a reliance upon cocaine. It's a role that would be so easy to get completely wrong but Leto just nails it. In fact he makes you so fully believe in this character that on the one instance where we see Rayon wearing men's clothing it just seems completely wrong. You wonder just what the hell she's doing, this isn't her. And together Leto and McConaughey share such a great chemistry whenever they are on screen together. I was going to call it a bromance of sorts but I think it's too antagonistic for that. It's more like a classic buddy cop relationship. And in the tradition of a film like 48 Hrs the initial relationship between them is one of hate, and even when tensions have eased somewhat they continue to butt heads and needle each other. The third main performance in Dallas Buyers Club comes for a more unexpected source. Were it up to cinema audiences to cast the role of Dr. Eve Saks I don't think many people would have instantly thought of Jennifer Garner. Despite this I've got to say that I thought she did a good job. She may struggle on the odd occasion and her character was never going to make the kind of impact that Ron and Rayon do, but I think she does a commendable job. Her inclusion also allows for an additional, perhaps unintentional, thread to McConaughey's performance. Typically you would expect to see these two individuals brought together for a romantic comedy, as was the case in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. So watching McConaughey's faded lothario attempt in vain to woo her is rather sad, touching back to Ron's own past but also playing into McConaughey's established screen persona which he appears to be putting behind him in recent years.

Given the nature of the film's story, audiences could be forgiven for expecting or even fearing a much more melodramatic experience than its end result proves to be. This is predominantly down to the characters and their outlooks on life. Despite their shared illness both Ron and Rayon continue to live their lives to the fullest extent that they can. Ron refuses to just lay down and give in, while Rayon is such an effervescent and spirited individual who just seems so at peace with herself even in such a hate-filled environment. So despite the opening exchanges seeing Ron diagnosed with Aids and given just 30 days to live, Dallas Buyers Club actually turns out to be a film more about living than it is dying, more about life than death. Also quite surprising is just how funny the film actually is, delivering a decent amount of laughs. Admittedly most of those laughs do come from quite a crude and coarse place so it might not appeal to everyone, but for myself and the audience I saw the film with just about every one of them landed.

At the start of this review I made note of how conventional and perhaps predictable it is, and that largely arises from the script by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack. Even before I say this I know it's going to sound strange, but if anything their script is a little too 'perfect.' It just feels a touch too polished with the characters and plotting seemingly lifted straight from Screenwriting 101. Despite being based on true events the only character based on a real individual is Ron. Outside of that everyone else is a fictional creation, all of whom seem to exist only to aid in the development of Ron's character and the story. Ron's homophobia is established instantly in the bluntest of terms with the addition to the story of Rayon clearly acting as the instigator for Ron's evolution and the barometer by which we can measure his journey. The two doctors responsible for Ron's treatment (Garner's Dr. Saks and Denis O'Hare's Dr. Sevard) just happen to be at polar ends and represent the differing points of view amongst the medical profession. While the FDA are cast in the role of this large, sneering villain; a real 'big bad' for the film so that once again in a move similar to Philadelphia, the film's protagonist is cast as the little man up against this large corporation in a real David v Goliath battle of good versus evil.

Film Trivia Snippets - Before filming began both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto lost a substantial amount of weight. Jared Leto lost over 30 pounds for the role and has confessed that at one point he stopped eating so he could lose weight quicker. The lowest recorded weight that he got down to was 114 pounds. McConaughey meanwhile lost an incredible 47 pounds, prompting newspaper reports to describe him as look “terribly gaunt” at the time and that he was “wasting away to skin and bones.” /// Hilary Swank was originally cast in the role of Dr. Eve Saks, while Gael Garcia Bernal was cast as Rayon. Both dropped out before filming and were replaced by Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto respectively. /// Due to budgetary constraints the film was shot in just 25 days with a single camera and no customary lighting set-ups. Rehearsals were excluded and to the relief of the actors, no post-production looping requested. McConaughey apparently revelled in this style of film-making, saying that “I was riding a new way of making a film. There were no lights, one camera, 15-minute takes.” And Jennifer Garner has stated that McConaughey actually “gave an even wilder performance in takes that didn't appear onscreen.” /// Throughout those 25 days of filming Jared Leto stayed in character as Rayon for the entire time. At one point Leto went grocery shopping in character to a local Whole Foods where he received numerous stares and double takes.
It's unusual for a film to achieve such critical acclaim and recognition at major awards shows, with little recognition going the way of the film's director, certainly not in terms of awards or nominations. Having now seen the film however it is not something that surprises me all that much. Very rarely throughout the film did I ever find myself noticing Vallée's hand at work, and perhaps that's the way it should be. For a story of this nature anything all that noticeable may come across as being nothing but obtrusive, when he should instead just be allowing the performances to speak for themselves. Alongside a jittery and rushed style to recreate the condition and ailments of Ron, there are really only a couple of instances where its the visuals as opposed to the performers that catch your eye. The first actually comes from the film's very first images. Opening at a rodeo we find ourselves in one of the bull stalls where Ron is engaged in wild sex with two women. As he thrusts and grunts his way through this encounter we can see through the slats in the stall to the ongoing rodeo where a rider is thrown violently from his bull to the ground and left motionless. With an unsettling audio mix of the roaring crowd, the rowdy sex and a strange, high-pitched ringing accompanying the images of the fallen rider Vallée is clearly establishing the danger that Ron has placed himself in.

The other notable visual from the film occurs as it nears its conclusion. While visiting a doctor's clinic down in Mexico, Ron is drawn towards a strange sound emanating from a room in the back. Entering the room he finds himself surrounded by hundreds, perhaps even thousands of butterflies. As he adjusts to his surroundings he notices that a couple of butterflies have landed upon him. Spreading out his arms to embrace the situation he soon finds himself covered by dozens of them. The scene quite clearly acts as a representative for the beauty and wonder of life if you open yourself up to it as Ron now has, and it makes for quite a striking scene. Taking into account the metamorphosis of character that Ron undergoes across the film's running time it would also not be much of a stretch to see the image as a metaphor for Ron himself. Just as the caterpillar transforms into this creature of great beauty, Ron too has grown. From his origins as this horribly homophobic, hateful scumbag he evolves into this much more enlightened, accepting individual. And his white trash appearance and attitudes actually belies a keen mind, a mind that is capable of studying and understanding all of the medical information involved with his disease and its treatment, capable of setting up and running such an operation and capable of battling against the government. From hating and then exploiting the gay community he comes to genuinely care for and respect them. In his own way Ron too has managed to become a creature of beauty worthy of our admiration.

Conclusion - As a film Dallas Buyers Club may not be perfect but it certainly has its heart in the right place and it enriches the spirit. It takes a difficult subject and presents a unique take on it, delivering the story in a digestible and engaging fashion that even manages to be joyous and uplifting on occasion despite its inherent sadness. And whatever flaws it may have can be overlooked fairly easily because of the two incredible, award-worthy performances at its heart. Both McConaughey and Leto are excellent and are reason enough alone to make this a film worthy of anyone's time.