Dallas Buyers Club

Year: 2013 (USA)
Genre: Drama/Docudrama
Directed: Jean-Marc Vallee
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Denis O'Hare, Steve Zahn, Michael O'Neill, Dallas Roberts, Griffin Dunne, Kevin Rankin
Production: Voltage Pictures


Matthew McConaughey’s career was leading up to the masterwork that is Dallas Buyers Club (2013). The man has always struck me as an actor who played roles beneath his ability of the sake of a paycheck. At the apex of his popularity the Southern-fried hunk seemed to be languishing in romantic comedy hell; How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Failure to Launch (2006), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2008), et al.

Man, if I just throw her off the side, I'll never have to do this BS again!

Then came the 2010’s, and McConaughey surprised the masses. It all started with the supremely underrated The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) which didn’t get that much attention from audiences yet McConaughey’s performance garnered near universal praise. That film in addition to memorable supporting parts in The Paperboy (2012) Magic Mike (2012) and Bernie (2011) led to his breakout year 2013, which includes a supporting role in Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and a lead role in film festival circuit darling Mud (2012). Now he’s poised to win the Best Actor Oscar for his work in Dallas Buyers and make no mistake he will deservedly win.

Yea, you know I be like straight up gangsta

Dallas Buyers Club starts with Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) having a steamy three-way in the darkened hallways under the Dallas rodeo. He fancies himself a bit of a hustler and a delinquent though when not at the rodeo or consuming booze and cocaine, he’s an electrician. After an accident at work he wakes up dazed and is told they did blood-work on him and discovered he’s HIV-positive. The doctors (Jennifer Garner and Michael O’Neill) estimate he’s got thirty days to live.

The hard drinking, hard living Woodroof goes through quite a dramatic change over the course of the movie. An admitted homophobe, Woodroof is ostracized by his peers because according to them he’s got f****t blood. He finds a community of people going through the same thing and at first tries to exploit them for profit. That’s when he meets Rayon (Jared Leto), a transvestite who sees the opportunistic hick for what he is but nevertheless helps him with his burgeoning business. And what is this business you ask? Well you’ll have to watch the film.

As mentioned earlier, McConaughey will likely win the Best Actor Oscar for the following reasons: The actor lost all most fifty pounds to prepare for a role that at the beginning is heard to like the impossible not to love. He plays a character that addresses a still, very prevalent health issue in this country and does so with bravado. Finally, his Woodroof goes up against some heavy players’ i.e. big pharmaceutical.

The other strong performance and likely Oscar recipient in Dallas Buyers Club is the revelatory Jared Leto who has been absent from films for four years to focus on his music career as the front man for 30 Seconds to Mars. He likewise lost a considerable amount of weight for the role of a lifetime. Like William Hurt’s performance in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), Leto doesn’t ham it up and mold the character into an offensive stereotype of homosexuality. Instead he creates a sympathetic character who is far from a mensch yet partially redeemed through his actions. In other words a true, live, fully fleshed out character.

Dallas Buyers Club is a superb film about a sinner turned saint who fumbles into greatness through an unbearable tragedy. He goes up against impossible odds with a positive attitude and a sinister grin towing the line between a community leader and advocate and an opportunistic drug smuggler. If you’re a believer in grace and redemption and a fan of outstanding acting, you need to watch Dallas Buyers Club. I promise you by the time the credits role, you’ll love McConaughey’s style. He’s gone a long way since The Wedding Planner (2001) I tell you what.

Final Grade: B+