Before I say one word about this movie, I would like to refer you all to my post several months ago on Mud. Particularly the last bit about how Matt was coming back and I wouldn’t be surprised if DBC was a real winner….? Everyone remember that?
But enough of my brilliance. Unfortunately Dallas Buyers Club came to Redbox just after the Oscar’s so I had to see Matt’s acceptance speech before the actual film – which was outstanding by the way. Naturally I couldn’t wait to see it after both he and Jared Leto were honored for their performances so I scooped it up one night this week. Like all Oscar nominated films, it wasn’t the easiest to watch but it was poignant and moving. Why can’t something like Notting Hill be nominated just once? The ultimate snub in my opinion.
My recommendations to the Academy aside, Dallas Buyers Club tells the story of Ron Woodruff: a homophobic cowboy with the need to party hardy. When he finds out he is HIV-positive, the doctors tell him he has 30 days at best. Once his denial subsides he realizes there is no treatment at this point in the early 80’s except for the experimental AZT drug. What follows is his journey to all corners of the globe to collect new and unapproved drugs and bring them back to Dallas, where he starts the Dallas Buyers Club for other AIDS victims (including Rayon, Leto’s strong yet charming transvestite character). His transformation from a severe homophobe to steadfast companion to people like Rayon is moving, and his dedication to delivering these drugs across the border is comical at times, but the message is clear about how devastating it was to be diagnosed with AIDS at a time where there was much prejudice and hardly any medical information or research. The most obvious visual impact was the ~50 pounds McConauhey lost to portray Woodruff and his drug ridden body, now THAT’S dedication, people. Leto went to the extreme as well when it came to his physical character transformation. It was horrifying. In my opinion Matt could have won Best Actor for that alone. Other notable appearances are by Jennifer Garner as the doctor who risks her job for believing in Woodruff’s cause, and Steve Zahn who I will never be able to watch and not think of Saving Silverman.
My main complaint about the film is this: why so many threads? I feel this is a constant problem in movies – writers get so over-excited about the story and adding in all kinds of dimensions that work on paper, but when you’re limited to 2 hours it’s hard to meaningfully develop these threads. Take Woodruff’s relationship with his doctor (Garner) for example. They start to seem like they’re interested in a relationship or something and go on a date and then it’s dropped. Several scenes in Garner’s character’s apartment suggest they’re trying to build on her character but it never leads anywhere. That was valuable time filmmakers could have invested in Rayon/Ron’s relationship or more background of Ron’s life. Another example is the doctor Ron sees in Mexico. He was mysteriously kicked out of practicing in the US but why? And why bother telling me that so mysteriously if you’re not going to explain later?
Spoiler alert! I’ve also noticed people giving criticism towards the ending of the movie, saying that it’s a cop-out because Ron ultimately dies and the final scene is a triumphant romp on the bull for Woodruff with an admittedly unoriginal freeze-and-fade. I’m not sure if this makes me a total n00b or not but I thought that was a great, optimistic ending for a pretty depressing and heavy film. Well done says I.
Days of Darling 