Dallas Buyers Club Empowers and Inspires

I walked into the theater with no knowledge of this film except of its oscar buzz. I had only heard something about Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey delivering excellent performances. Anyways, it was one of the few times in my life where I had no idea what to expect from a film.

Based on a true story, homophobic electrician and bull rider Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Texas amidst the epidemic in the 1980s. During this time when the virus was still associated with the gay community, Woodroof is quickly ostracized by his peers and offered only experimental treatment from the hospital. Given only 30 days to live - according to his doctors - he takes matter into his own hands by befriending a transgender woman and finding and distributing alternative medicines, not approved by the FDA, to other patients.  

The first thing I had to process was McConaughey's weight loss for this role. According to IMDB, he lost 47lbs, and the results are shocking. But it really does make his performance much more powerful because you truly believe this man is fighting for his life.

McConaughey's and Leto's performances were phenomenal. At first, I scoffed at Woodroof for being so intolerant of others. But then he changes from a homophobic drug-addicted cowboy to a god samaritan drug dealer.  He learns to love, tolerate, and stick it to the man (in this case, the FDA). I was won over by the performance and was rooting for Woodroof by the end of the film. Leto was just as amazing with his sass and vulnerability. Both definitely deserve their Oscar nomination this year.

For the film buffs, there are some creative shots in this film, but otherwise I found nothing very innovative. But the story and the acting over compensate for the simplistic style.

Anyone looking for a film to inspire or empower them, Dallas Buyers Club is just the movie to kick your butt into gear.