The Film
"The goddamn rodeo is what you see."
Disturbing. That's basically the best way to describe the critically acclaimed film, Dallas Buyers Club.
It's disturbing to see Matthew McConaughey play real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof. Sure, he has some of the same inflections that he used to portray the freewheeling Wooderson in 1993's Dazed and Confused. However, he's anything but "all right, all right, all right" here.
Ron is freewheeling in a different way. As a part-time rodeo cowboy and full-time electrician, he has careless (and often angry) sex with whoever wants it. He's also extremely hateful. Within the first minute or so of the film, he asks, "Did you know Rock Hudson was a c***sucker?"
That's probably one of the more tame comments that Ron spews -- and he spews a lot of them, even after he's diagnosed with HIV and loses all of his friends.
Ron is given 30 days to live, but refuses to accept that diagnosis. Within a week, he finds a way to buy the experimental drug AZT. However, when mixed with coke and booze, the drug doesn't have quite the effect he's seeking. With little hope or options left, Ron heads to Mexico in search of additional AZT. Instead, he finds Dr. Vass (Griffin Dunne), who introduces him to alternative drugs not available in the U.S.
From there, a business opportunity is born. After trying to sell a few pills here and there, Ron joins forces with Rayon (Jared Leto), an HIV-positive transgender woman he met during a hospital stay. The two go on to form the "Dallas Buyers Club," which provides drugs free of charge to those who need it, all for a monthly membership fee of $400.
Although Ron sheds his hateful attitude during the course of the movie, Dallas Buyers Club never becomes any less disturbing. The attitude and treatment that HIV-positive people received during this time period will have you squirming. And if that doesn't do it for you, the appearance of the film's leads certainly will. From the minute he appears on-screen, McConaughey's massive weight loss is both apparent and shocking. The 50 pounds that he dropped for the role transformed him from a shirtless tabloid staple to a skeleton. Leto is just as hard to watch, having dropped 30 pounds from his already thin frame.
However, this film isn't great because its leads took health risks to make it happen. The actual performances are stellar -- and that includes Jennifer Garner. Also, it's just a really remarkable story of how one man's fight to survive affected so many others, including Big Pharma and the government.
For a more in-depth look at the film, check out David Kempler's theatrical review of Dallas Buyers Club.
The Picture
Dallas Buyers Club is not a pretty movie in any sense of the word. There aren't many colors or moments to ogle in this 2.40:1 image, but hospital areas are super white, the rodeo has its earthy browns, and other areas look just as nice. The standout here is the contrast. This is most notable on the faces seen in the film, which vary from tan to ghostly pale. Detail isn't what you'd expect from a newer film, but depicts both the time period and the subject matter very well.
The Sound
While the film is mostly about the dialogue, the lone DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has plenty of moments to ring through the surrounds -- sometimes literally. Whenever Ron has one of his "episodes," a high-pitch tone blasts through the surrounds with such force, it had my dog on notice. There's also club music, airplanes, rodeo sounds and bar chatter to keep all of those speakers quite busy. The dialogue is still the most prominent part of this track, though, and it sounds equally as wonderful as any other part.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Dallas Buyers Club has actually been tossed around Hollywood since the mid-1990s. Dennis Hopper was going to direct Woody Harrelson before it went to Marc Forster, who wanted Brad Pitt. In 2008, it was Craig Gillespie's turn -- and he wanted Ryan Gosling. Apparently, Ron's real-life sister (who is missing from the movie) was very pleased with the casting of Matthew McConaughey. Audiences should be as well. His performance alone makes Dallas Buyers Club a must-see.
Product Details
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