Matthew McConaughey stars as an electrician and bull-rider in the mid 80’s who discovers he is HIV positive and looks to find a way to help himself and other suffers in Dallas Buyers Club. Review after the jump.
Based on the story of Ron Woodruff, McConaughey stars as a man who has made some bad decisions in his life which includes taking cocaine, heavy drinking and participating in unprotected sex with countless women – the latter leads him to catching the HIV strain.
After receiving an electrical shock at work, Woodruff is taken to the hospital where the doctors test his blood and find out about his predicament – giving him only 30 days to live. Desperate to find a solution, he starts (illegally) taking a new drug but he soon finds that it is causing more harm than good. A meeting with a doctor in Mexico leads him to realise that healthy living is better than any prescription drug and he starts to deal in packs of legal medicine to many people in the same boat as himself, alongside his business partner Rayon (Jared Leto) a cross dressing homosexual.
McConaughey and Leto are in absolutely fantastic form as Woodruff and Rayon. Both lost a shedload of weight to portray HIV sufferers and are unrecognisable. It’s not just about their appearances though, as their performances speak volumes too. McConaughey plays the homophobic (at first) nymphomaniac bull rider fantastically, while Leto is the most convincing gay cross-dresser ever portrayed on film. Both are deserving of multiple awards. 
Jennifer Garner co-stars as Woodruff and Rayon’s doctor with a heart. She is forced to test a new drug on her patients all though she has an idea that it doesn’t work – even so much as making them worse by killing off white blood cells.
Dallas Buyers Club is set in the 80’s and the look of the film is perfect for setting. Costumes, hair and props all take us back 30 years. The story can sometime slow down, but all is forgiven due to the brilliant performances from the films two main stars.
Overall Thoughts:
Although it is a good and well-made movie, Dallas Buyers Club will forever be remembered for the two powerhouse performances by McConaughey and Leto.
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