Dallas Buyers Club

Other reviewers have ably reviewed this film, so I'll just say that this small gem is the best film I've seen so far this year. Both lead actors give sparkling performances, and in scenes where they share the screen, you might need sunglasses to handle the sun-bright intensity.

Of note is that this entire film was shot in only 23 days and Leto, in particular, said in an interview on the Daily Show, that he didn't have much time to rehearse, making the performance even more impressive. The only detraction was Jennifer Garner. She barely projects the authority of a nurse, let alone a doctor, even though female doctors in the 70's (and maybe today) were second-class citizens.

It is one of great films who you do not know why you admire . Sure, acting, story, mix of rodeo and AIDS, the romance, the real facts ,the fight against bad system. But each represents only detail. Its message can be the best answer for see it more as revelation than as a good movie. The basic, small truths. And the force and art of Matthew McConaughey to propose something almost unexpected from him. Or a great Jared Leto . Short - just more than a film.

This film came to the UK with the usual awards hype that seems to accompany any number of bigger films that are released around this time, but I had made an effort to avoid it and didn't know too much about it other than McConaughey being talked up about his performance. Indeed I had ignored it as much as I could and to the point where I really knew the barebones of the plot – which was to say it was a true story of a guy who got HIV and, frustrated by the lack of medical treatment at the time, decided to start running effective drugs unapproved by the FDA across the Mexican border into the US. With this very basic grasp I did worry that the film would be sentimental, making a hero of the main character, playing up the plight of the infected and generally being the sort of film they wheel out for awards at this time of year, ticking all the topics off that gets voters onboard.

Happily the truth is that, although there is an element of this, the film doesn't overplay to this side of its nature and instead delivers a remarkable straight telling without too much excess. The character of Ron is a hustler first and everything else second and this doesn't change once he finally gets through the "bargaining, anger, denial, acceptance" stages of his diagnosis. As a result his efforts to bring in the drugs are not done out of some selfless act of wanting to help others as he prepares to meet his maker, but rather as part of his own fight for life he hits on a scheme to make money – and for the majority of the film this is the case. This central truth to the character really works to rob the film of sentimentality of him and therefore of the wider situation and it makes for a better film because we are engaged because we are interested rather than becomes a sweeping musical score or "Oscar clip" moment tells us to feel something. It does still do this and it does still bring out the sense of people struggling to live while the structure supposed to help them does little about it, but it does so in a way that is refreshingly free of smaltz.

Although this is a strength, it should also be said that the film doesn't manage to bring it all together as well as it should given the subject matter. It just feels like it falls a few steps short of greatness in terms really delivering an emotional punch that informs on the individual and the bigger picture at the same time – it does do this, but it is more consistent rather than building to this. Despite this it still works and although it lacks these real highs of delivery, it was functional and successful and I appreciated the lack of easy sentiment. The performances match this and in particular McConaughey gets the tone of the film and by return sets it. He is great, not because of the weight loss but because he delivers an unsympathetic character and convinces as him whether he is raging in denial, hustling or hurting. He is the heart of the film and it works as well as it works thanks a lot to him. The support characters are never more than supporting though, but of course Leto is strong in his role – not because he cross-dresses, but because he is the character and he makes Rayon about much more than the appearance. Zahn, Garner, O'Neill, Dunne and other recognizable faces all do solid work but primarily this is McConaughey's film.

Dallas Buyers Club may not be perfect but it is consistent and it is engaging. I appreciate that it never resorts to easy smaltz or cheap sentimentality and it seems perfectly fine with its flawed character being flawed throughout the film. It is a well told story which links well from the individual's story into the bigger picture, even if it doesn't quite impact at that level as it could have done. Within the solid and effective frame of this story, McConaughey then seals the deal with a really strong lead performance as he takes yet another massive leap away from being that guy leaning against the title on the bus poster.

Matthew McConaughey is barely recognizable as Ron Woodroof, an electrician/womanizer who ends up finding out he's contracted HIV/AIDS and has 30 days left to live. After searching deeper for information on a relatively unknown disease (at the time), he finds out that there is existing medication that is not yet approved in the U.S.A. that could help him survive longer.

However, after running into red tape when trying to obtain medication, he decides to smuggle massive amounts of pharmaceutical products and starts selling them to other HIV/AIDS infected patients, creating the "Dallas Buyers Club".

First of all, what a film. Jean-Marc Vallée's "C.R.A.Z.Y." was quite something to watch, but "Dallas Buyers Club" is a tremendous achievement. Vallée's directing is stellar, the script is top notch, and features a palette of characters that makes this story truly engaging and human.

Homophobia, illness, lust, being incapable of receiving proper treatment, smuggling, death, friendship, the limitations of the legal system, these are all themes that would lead one to think that this film is a depressing drama. It is not. And that's where the success of "Dallas Buyers Club" lies. All these themes would make the perfect recipe for a melodrama, wrap it up in a small package with a big star (McConaughey), and put the "Based on a true Story" stamp. But it's so much, much more.

"Dallas Buyers Club" avoids all the traps of melodrama by being whole-heartedly hilarious at times, with just the proper dose of raw emotion, and performances that will be remembered for ages. Half-way through the film, my friends and I looked at each other, in a bit of disbelief, unanimously agreeing that McConaughey deserves an Oscar for this. Jared Leto is also wonderful as Rayon, an AIDS-infected transvestite patient that will become a great friend and business partner, and that will trigger Woodroof's change of vision towards homosexuality. And it is not drastic. It comes in all kinds of subtleties and heart-warming moments. Hats off to Jennifer Garner as well, she is flawless.

Without ever offering a heavy-hearted tone, this is a story of perseverance and positivity with an interesting setting that sheds some light on an often forgotten page of history. Engaging social drama, well-written comedy, and wonderful cinematic experience altogether.

One of the best films I've seen this year! A raw, gritty, and incredible true story about a HIV diagnosed man who went to extraordinary lengths to survive at a time when the AIDS epidemic was at it's worst.

Matthew McConaughey who lost a significant amount of weight to play the role gives the performance of his career along with Jared Leto who's equally as good here. The two give quite possibly the best performances I've seen in a film all year in which I actually forgot I was watching actors in a film and instead felt as if I was watching real people. There's no doubt they will both receive nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

While this kind of story does feel a bit familiar overall, it's excellent screenplay and sense of realism along with the excellent performances make up for it. While it's defiantly not easy viewing and a bit of a downer to watch, it's a truly inspiring (and important) true story and one of the years best films.

McConaughey has been made out to be a bit of a laughing stock after starring in a series of really mediocre films. His recent performances however, have shown that the man truly is one of the best actors working in the business right now. Dallas Buyers Club is only further proof of this.