Dallas Buyers Club is a Fantastic Film, Lead by Two Strong Performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto

Dallas Buyers Club (4 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by: Jean Marc-Vallee (The Young Victoria)

Written by: Craig Bortan and Melisa Wallack (Mirror Mirror)

Starring Matthew McConnaughey, Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner

People always talk about the fact that a "cure" for HIV/AIDS has to be around the corner.  This film focuses on buyers clubs which are underground methods which attempt to get around federal/state laws.  Buyers clubs exist for all sorts of this ranging from marijuana to the focus of this film the Dallas Byers Club, which helped people get safe medication while high dosage of AZT was crippling people's immune systems.

The film tells the story of Ron Woodroof (McConnaughey) a straight male who is diagnosed with HIV and eventually contracts the AIDS virus.  Woodroof had lots of unprotected sex and did lots of drugs, but at the time of his diagnosis HIV/AIDS was still known as GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency). The climate of Texas at the time, and for the most part still today there was rampant homophobia.  Woodroof is told he has 30 days, and eventually fights to get treatment through buying AZT illegally.  Once the well runs dry Woodroof ends up in Mexico and all over the world finding alternatives to helping people feel healthy with the disease.  Woodroof starts this buyers club with woman named Rayon (Leto), together they create the Dallas Buyers Club where they sell membership to people dying of the diseases.

Club is a powerful film, and the film is made great by the performances from McConnaughey and Leto.  McConnaughey has knocked me out this year with two terrific performances in both this and Mud.  In Club McConnaughey transforms his body for the role losing tons of weight, but also disappearing into this character.  Woodroof is kind of scumbag throughout most of the movie, and he's someone you want to hate mainly for his rampant homophobia.  McConnaughey adds so many layers to this character making him layered, showing his passion, and heart to not help keep himself healthy, but to do right by other people in fighting the FDA on the policies.  The best role of his career.

I have always thought Leto was a great actor, Fight Club, American Psycho, but most of his career has been focused on his time as a musician with 30 Seconds to Mars.  Leto proves he has the chops as Rayon a transgender female.  While McConnaughey is going to get most of the attention because he is great, Leto gives this film heart; he is fantastic as Rayon.   Rayon has confidence, but in her vulnerable moments Leto shows the cracks in the exterior beautifully; he is phenomenal.

While these two men deserve the vast majority of the credit, the unsung hero of this project is writer Craig Bortan.  There is no data,, or information about Woodroof beyond an interview Bortan did with him in 1992 one month before Woodroof passed away.  In the interview Woodroof was said to be incredibly candid, mainly because he knew was so close to death.  Bortan does a good job giving these two people such fantastic depth.  My one complaint in the film is Garner's character who plays a doctor, helping run AZT trials.  Garner is great, but I think the character pulls focus away from these two.  Woodroof getting a love interest made the man in the film "more like able" but the goal of the film should be the man behind the club.  I found McConnaughey's growth as a person and connection to Rayon to be strong enough to make this a great film.

Director Jean Marc-Vallee brings to life an intricately woven tale about a complex man, and his constant struggle to live while fighting the government and some of their most inane regulations.  Marc-Vallee's first film, which I saw entitled C.R.A.Z.Y., was fantastic, The Young Victoria was a bit cold, but not bad.  This takes his direction to a whole new level, and creates an experience, which can't be forgotten.

Star Making Roles Part 2: JJ Abrams

I have been watching a lot of JJ Abrams stuff lately.  What can I say, other than the man is a genius.  JJ Abrams is the mind who brought television shows like Felicity, Alias, Lost and now films like the new re- imagined Cloverfield, Mission Impossible III, Star Trek, and Super 8.  In the last ten years the man has created, written, produced and directed countless other projects.  While I was at lunch with a co-worker at lunch they stated "I will watch anything that says from the creators of Lost."  This is a huge statement!  Abrams is becoming a branding machine like Spielberg.  My hope is that Abrams stays true to himself and takes on passion projects that interest him, unlike Spielberg who seems to do just about anything.

One of the great things about this man is the sheer talent he has helped emerge from his television shows and films.  Abrams has helped a lot of people find stardom; he his people. Abrams like most directors finds people he likes to work worth and bring them on to work with him in several different capacities.  Two people that fit the bill are Greg Grunberg and Amanda Foreman.  Grunberg played Sean in Felicity and he has had some acting role in 6 different Abrams films and television shows.  Grumburg's roles have varied from the voice of Kirk's stepdad while Kirk is stealing the car in Star Trek to a major supporting role in Alias.  Foreman has been in 4 different Abrams films; she also was part of Star Trek and had a role on Alias.  The irony of this is that these two played a couple on Felicity.  I love when director's give a wink and a nod to their fans.  Abrams is a master at this because these actors roles are something you can miss if you do not pay attention.

Abrams is not only good at using actors on revolving basis, but like Gary Marshall (in part one-read it) Abrams has launched the careers of two talented women, Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner.  While unlike Roberts and Hathaway from part one these two women are not superstars, but they are also household names who have done a lot because of their status headlining successful television shows from Abrams.

Keri Russell-What can you say about Felicity Porter?  There were moments when I was annoyed that  this girl picked a college because she liked a boy, and there moments where her wafish good looks seemed annoyingly perfect, but this was a great character.  Russell Felicity started out as a woman driven by her feelings for a boy, but became someone who fought to find herself.  Unfortunately Russell was never nominated for an Emmy for this role, but she was nominated for a Golden Globe during the first season and won.  After Felicity ran for four years Russell spent most of her time in film; she starred in smaller films like The Upside of Anger, and Waitress, and bigger films like August Rush and Mission Impossible III.  Russell is no stranger to being selective about both her film and television roles.  Television producers had been clamoring to bring her back to television and her fans got their wish in 2010 when she co-starred with Will Arnett in Running Wilde.  In her first comeback to television  Ms. Russell cam back to a big letdown, they show was a massive flop and did poorly in the ratings.  In recent news this week Keri Russell was attached to a new pilot on F/X entitled The Americans about KGB spies living in the US during the 1980s.  This series comes from Joe Wesiberg (Falling Skies) and Graham Yost (Justified).  Russell is at her best within the realm of drama, and I am excited to see more from her.

Jennifer Garner-3 years after Abrams brought Felicity to the WB he created and brought Alias about a female spy named Sydney Bristow to life in the form of Jennifer Garner.  Garner's role in Alias was not only kick ass but it took the spy themed concept to whole new level, with a woman at the center.  Abrams is never afraid to do something different, and Alias was a great way to highlight Garner's acting abilities.  Throughout the shows five seasons Garner was nominated for four Emmy Awards (she never won) four Golden Globe Awards (she won the first year exactly like Russell) and two Screen Actor's Guild Awards (she won in 2005).  Garner's role in Alias has landed her a wide variety of roles ranging from the romantic comedy realm with films like 13 Going on 30, Catch and Release, Valentine's Day, and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.  Alias also helped to show that Garner was no feather weight and that she could be a bad ass action star too; she landed roles in Daredevil, which led to her role in in her own super hero film Elektra, and The Kingdom.  Garner's best film role was her supporting turn in Juno where she played Vanessa who so desperately wanted a child and to be a mother; she played this role with such quiet brilliance.  

Both of these women were given prime television gigs from one of the greatest working creative minds today, and their careers post these roles have been a bit lackluster.  I like both of these women a lot, and I hope their stars do not burn out.  It's time for JJ to create some more great roles for these two women and use them the way he uses some of his other favorite people.