DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

I'll admit, pre-award season I hadn't paid much attention to Dallas Buyers Club. The fact that it isn't released in the UK until February, a whopping three months after it's stateside debut, meant that trailers have only just started to air and before the Golden Globe nominations had been announced I don't think I had even heard of the film.

As a result, this film almost flew right over my head, and I am unable to decipher whether it was the trailer or the hype that became the main reason for my delayed excitement and desire to see the film. Although, one thing that I can say with absolute certainty is that the fact Jared Leto is surprisingly receiving the long-awaited attention that his acting capability deserves was definitely a factor.

Despite the fact that Leto is a fantastic actor, his performance in Requiem for a Dream fourteen years ago is more than enough evidence to show that, I didn't think that we would ever see the day that the front man of a popular rock band will be nominated for an Oscar, let alone be favourite to win. After his Golden Globe triumph I was hellbent on seeing what all the fuss is about for myself - he is a great actor, but could his performance really be any better than that of the drug-addicted Harry Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream? That masterpiece didn't warrant him any Academy attention, so what is so special about his Dallas Buyers Club performance? Well, I can safely say that now that I have seen the film, I completely understand the fuss.

Matthew McConaughey gives a career-defining performance

Set in 1985, Dallas Buyers Club tells the true life story of Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), a homophobic rodeo cowboy from Dallas Texas who is diagnosed with HIV and given just thirty days to live. After the medication Ron receives in US hospitals makes him even more ill, he travels to Mexico where he meets with a doctor who gives him medication that isn't approved in the US, despite the positive effect that it has on HIV sufferers. It soon occurs to Ron that he can make money from this miracle drug, so he smuggles it into America and with the help of a HIV+ transgender woman (Jared Leto) he opens up a Buyers Club, where those suffering with HIV and AIDs can buy a membership in order to receive the medication.

Everything about Dallas Buyers Club is strong, but nothing more so than the incredible talent. McConaughey and Leto both give career-defining performances with McConaughey creating somewhat of a charming anti-hero in the form of Ron Woodroof. Initially, the Southern hick is quite an unlikable character; he drinks, he does drugs and he has dirty casual sex, all on top of his unforgivably homophobic intolerance of the fellow HIV patients that he encounters once he has been diagnosed. However, Ron's response to his diagnosis is nothing short of heartrending and admirable in equal measures as upon hearing his short life expectancy he utters 'There ain't nothing out there that can kill Ron Woodroof in 30 days' before he goes out there, reads up on the disease and then does everything he can in order to get the treatment that he needs whilst also hustling up some money by making an illegal business out of it.

The themes throughout are quite positive despite the film's difficult subject matters of the trauma of HIV and AIDS alongside the injustice of the American healthcare system at the time. Although the tone of Dallas Buyers Club teeters slightly more on the upbeat and heartwarming side of cinema, it certainly isn't without it's fair share of heartache and tragedy and director Jean-Marc Vallee ensures that whilst watching you do not forget for a second the gravity of the subject matter and it is by no means 'easy-viewing'.

Ron Woodroof's character development is perhaps the most insightful and endearing aspect of the film, and a testament to Matthew McConaughey's heartfelt performance. It is satisfying as a viewer to watch how this rodeo, cowboy hustler grows as his illness develops. From the way he copes with being ostracized by his so-called friends and finds solace and friendship in a queer person whom he mocked and insulted when they first met in neighboring hospital beds, to the change in his attitudes towards gay people and societal injustices in general; it is clear throughout that Ron Woodroof is becoming a better person but without losing any of his mischievous charm or lust for life. A character that is initially quite difficult to watch quickly becomes a character that you can't help but love and can't help but root for throughout the film.

Despite McConaughey's incredible performance and the heart he gives Ron Woodroof, the undeniable

Jared Leto steals the show as Rayon

scene-stealer of Dallas Buyers Club is Jared Leto as transgender woman Rayon. Rayon is a complex and intriguing character that is simply mesmerizing to watch, and I found that I couldn't take my eyes of Leto no matter what else was going on in the scene. I was pleased to see that Rayon was given depth and layers and although she starts out being the fun and sparkle that eases Ron into understanding the LGBTQ community a little better, she also gets the chance to display her vulnerability and raw emotion as the film goes on - taking full advantage of Leto's astounding range as he is pushed to the limits but doesn't even come close to breaking. Instead, he gives a consistently strong and heartbreaking performance, giving Dallas Buyers Club the edge that it needed in order to take it to the next level of cinema.

All in all, Dallas Buyers Club is a must-see film that showcases two incredible actors in their prime. A lot of the time I find myself questioning whether the films that get masses of attention from the big awards shows are really worth their acclaim, but in this instance I am thrilled to say that Dallas Buyers Club is not only worthy of every nomination it has received but every inevitable win too. A film that remains entertaining whilst dealing with a delicate subject matter is hard to come by, especially one as thought-provoking as this, yet the incredible combination of Vallee, Leto and McConaughey ensures that Dallas Buyers Club is nothing less than flawless in execution as together they strike a perfect balance of entertainment, sensitivity and heartache. 

★★★★★

Dallas Buyers Club is out nationwide from February 7th!

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