Dallas Buyers Club

The only film I can remember from director Jean-Marc Vallée was the dull The Young Victoria. His latest, Dallas Buyers Club, ought to make me pay attention to his filmography now.

In 1985, Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is a good ol' boy with a bad attitude. He likes partying, gambling, women and to mock the plight of AIDS victims. When he himself is diagnosed with AIDS, he's left with thirty days to live. His good ol' buddies shun him, the experimental cure AZT is a mess and the only feasible treatments are illegal in the U.S.

Ron uses his know-how to acquire all these treatments. He forms the Dallas Buyers Club to share them with others for $400 bucks a month (chump-change compared to the annual costs of AZT). Ron's business partners are his doctor, Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) and Rayon (Jared Leto), a transgender woman. But as business starts booming, Ron finds himself facing the very angry FDA.

McConaughey's performance as Ron Woodroof drives the film. It's all about him going from an initially amusing jerk into a selfless crusader for the rights of the sick. And it's a compelling character arc all the way through. His ghastly condition is made possible by good makeup work and extreme weight loss.

Leto is by far the most memorable of the supporting cast. As Rayon, he goes great with Ron because both try to act tough in the face of their insecurities. Their scenes together are great, as are Leto's scenes on his own.

The film's screenplay is a compelling look at these people and their world. I, for one, didn't even know about the health risks of AZT or much about it at all. It's a balanced look, as evidenced by the climactic scene in the San Francisco district court. In it, the Judge rules against the FDA's crackdown on Ron AND Ron's activities.

The real life Ron Woodroof died seven years after his diagnosis. This film is the story of how he survived longer than anyone anticipated. And it is a great story all the way through.