Movies: Dallas Buyers Club

(Drivebycuriosity) - Aids is still a big problem, but in the bad old times of the 1980s being HIV positive was a kind of death sentence. Because there was not much of a medical treatment infected people usually had just some more months to live.

The movie "Dallas Buyers Club", directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, is based on the true life story of Ron Woodroof, an electrician and amateur rodeo bull rider in Dallas, Texas USA (imdb). In 1985 Ron was diagnosed with HIV and was given 30 days to live. He started smuggling anti-viral medications from all over the world, which were still unapproved, for his own treatment and created the "Dallas Buyers Club" providing its paying members with these alternative treatments.

The movie shows how a determined and savvy man fights for his life and is doing good for a lot of others, but he has to struggle against a rigid & outmoded law system and against an arrogant & hypocritical bureaucracy.

There are 2 outstanding performances which make the movie worth seeing. Matthew McConaughey, as Ron, shows how this character grows on his challenges. Ron´s transformation from a redneck to an entrepreneur of health care and medical reformer in spite of his fatal illness is fascinating. Jared Leto as a HIV positive transvestite also was quite impressive. Btw, according to Wikipedia Leto lost 30 pounds for the role and McConaughey gave up 50 pounds (wikipedia). Jennifer Garner, as a clinician, delivered a solid performance and gave the film some female charm.

"Dallas Buyers Club" is an entertaining biopic and a compelling retrospective on an episode of the history of medicine.