8 of 10
Personal Bias Alert:
Previously seen “How to Survive a Plague,” lover of the term
McConaissance, soft spot for Jennifer Garner
Ron Woodroof was a
hustler long before he was diagnosed with AIDS.
He worked, drank, entertained women, frequented rodeos, did copious
amounts of drugs, and loved every minute of it.
A boisterous soul oozing unearned self-confidence, Woodroof makes a
captivating centerpiece for this well-executed biopic.
Set
in 1980s Dallas, Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) struggles with his diagnosis: he is abandoned by his friends and quickly discovers
that the drugs the doctors are doling out aren’t doing much good. Upon finding a doctor in Mexico who has
worked out an effective regimen of alternative medicines, Woodroof recognizes
his own salvation and a prime opportunity to cash in. He brings the drugs from Mexico to the US to
sell, in the process teaming up with a transgendered woman named Rayon (Jared
Leto).
The
prejudices of the setting exert itself at every turn. People are afraid of this disease, and in
their fear try to write it off as something only other people can get (in this
case homosexuals). Woodroof initially
shares these views, and a large portion of this film deals with his growing
acceptance of the people he meets on his journey. This and other cookie-cutter elements of the
plot weigh the film down at times.
Watching it, one never shakes the feeling that the writers were following
a formula, albeit it an effective one.
It would be easy to
make this a downer, but the filmmakers took a decidedly varied tone. Its serious backdrop is alleviated by several
light moments, and it even delivered some laughs. The tone is a reflection Woodroof and Rayon;
they enjoy life, even if they do have AIDS.
This makes the tonal shifts seem natural.
Where
the movie shines is in its performances.
The film revolves around three main characters: McConaughey’s Woodroof, Leto’s Rayon, and
Jennifer Garner’s Eve. A weakness in any
of these portrayals would have doomed the film, but all three are of such high
quality that they elevate the material past what it is on the page. Leto and Garner take advantage when they get
meaty scenes, and you don’t realize until you are out of the theater how
underwritten the roles are. McConaughey
is so effervescent that I still can’t tell you if it was helped by good writing
or not. McConaughey and Leto deserve the
Oscar buzz they are getting, and I wouldn’t have minded Garner getting the same
kind of attention.
The
buyer’s club of the title refers to how Woodroof sold the drugs once he got
them into the country. The drugs aren’t
technically illegal, “just unapproved” he explains, but it does seem to be
illegal to sell them. The buyer’s club
is a way around this, allowing Woodroof to sell memberships and then hand out
the drugs for free to his members. It’s
briefly explained in the movie, although I still don’t entirely understand how
the system worked. This, the problems
with the drug AZT, and all the other issues surrounding the AIDS crisis are
glossed over in favor of telling Woodroof’s story, which would normally be fine
if it hadn’t been released so soon after the spectacular “How to Survive a
Plague.” This documentary laid out the
problems in a comprehensive and understandable way, while delivering a highly
entertaining and affecting story.
Comparing the two movies is hard to avoid, and “Dallas Buyer’s Club” is
definitely the runner-up.
Other
Notes:
Ø Much
was made of McConaughey’s and Leto’s weight loss for their roles. While it may not have been necessary, there
was something unsettling about seeing how frail they were. It definitely helped the film.
Ø Garner
delivered a line late in the movie that was so perfect it made me hold my
breath.
Ø The
costumes/set design may not have been flashy, but they were pretty excellent.
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