Dallas Buyers Club

I watched this flick over the weekend. Nope, not in the theatre. Why will I spend money for a movie that released 4 months back? C'mon!!!

It stars Mathew McConaughey, Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner. I did not know it has Mathew when I watched the flick... and still cannot believe it is him. He lost 20 kg for the role. I have heard of people gaining weight or 6 packs for a role... but losing 20 kg? Unbelievable.


The story is about an electrician who works at the rodeo, is homophobic and gets detected with AIDS. This is in 1985 when AIDS was associated mainly with gays. He is ostracized by friends, fired from his job and evicted from his house. He meets Jennifer, a doctor, at the hospital which is testing a medicine (AZT) which claims to prolong the life of AIDS patients. He also meets Jared Leto, a transgender at the hospital. Mathew bribes a hospital worker for some AZT but it negatively affects his health. He is given 30 days to live and starts looking for ways to prolong his life. It leads him to a doctor in Mexico who prescribes him medicines not approved in US. Mathew's health improves and 3 months later, he is still alive. It gives him an idea... he starts importing the drugs since they are not illegal. Jared becomes his partner and they start a club called 'Dallas Buyers Club'. Basically, for a membership fee members can get as many drugs as they want.

But life is not rosy... FDA finds out and tries to shut it down. Jared dies somewhere near the end and after a long, legal battle (which Mathew loses), he is allowed the drugs for his personal use.
Mathew dies in 1992 of AIDS.

The story is awesome... very unique... and something I was not aware of. But, it is very artsy. Normal, regular people may not enjoy it so much. It was even boring in parts. There are 2 kinds of Oscar movies- something like Argo, which tells a true story and is an entertainer and like this one, which just tells a story. There is nothing entertaining about it.

Hollywood surprises me many times with how genuine things are shown in movies. Mathew looks like an AIDS patient... his weight loss gives him that gaunt look. You think he is going to die any moment. And so is Jared Leto. What an amazing transformation!!! Superb.