Another week, another Oscar contender based on a true story. Ron Woodruff was a hard drinking, womanising good old boy from Texas, who contracted AIDS when the hysteria surrounding the disease was at its height in the mid 80s. When diagnosed, he was told that he had 30 days to live. Refusing to accept that he was dying and finding little help from his doctors, he starts acquiring illegal drugs, and then, acting on a tip off, finds a medical establishment in Mexico that supplies drugs that are not approved in the US.
Spotting a business opportunity, and with the help of a fellow sufferer, the transsexual Rayon, he starts to import the drugs and sell them to other AIDS victims. As his operation grows, and despite the success he has taking the medicines himself, he comes under increasing pressure from the authorities. This could have been worthy TV movie of the week stuff, but it is elevated beyond that. Despite having a patchy previous record, the direction by Jean-Marc Vallée is assured and the cinematography by Yves Bélanger, interestingly using only natural light, captures the feeling of the time without resorting to obvious 80s trappings.
However, it is the performance of Matthew McConaughey that is the outstanding feature of this film. A lot of attention has been paid to the weight loss he undertook for the part, but his performance is about much more than that. Woodruff was not a likeable guy with his lifestyle, and the homophobic views he airs when he is diagnosed. But, thanks to McConaughey, you root for him throughout, and, when his views soften, initially at least for business reasons, he makes that seem so believable. It is Woodruff’s friendship with Rayon that is at the centre of the film, and whilst Jared Leto as Rayon has a showier role, it is McConaughey that does all of the heavy lifting.
After a string of brilliant performances in recent years, he looks set to pick up a deserved Oscar for best actor. There are a couple of little niggles with the film. I like Steve Zahn, who here is playing a friend of Woodruff, but having him turn up every time in the film that a policeman is needed seems odd, are there really so few cops in Dallas!? Also the bareback riding scenes at the start and end of the film offer some heavy handed symbolism. Other than that, this is another film that demands to be watched.
Rating: 8 out of 10