The fact it supposedly took
nearly twenty years to bring the true story of Ron Woodroof to the screen is a
somber fact which has not muted its impact over time. This
heart wrenching chronicle of one man’s desperate attempts against all odds features
marvelous performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.
It is 1985 in Dallas, Texas, and
rodeo rider, RonWoodroof (Matthew McConaughey), has an accident and ends up in
the hospital where he learns he has the HIV virus which causes AIDs, a death
sentence which, according to his doctor, gives him thirty days to live and put
his affairs in order. Stunned by the
news, which heretofore was a sexually transmitted disease among homosexuals,
Ron learns the grim truth about AIDs, a growing global epidemic. What’s worse is the lack of any effective
treatment even as trials for the experimental drug AZT begin via the Food and
Drug Administration. Frustrated by ineffective drugs and running
out of time, Ron takes matters in his own hands and begins to research the
disease and travels to Mexico and other exotic locations for possible answers. He tries drug and vitamin combinations, a
kind of AIDs cocktail, and begins to sell these to others. He even finds a way to circumvent the law
forbidding his selling drugs by offering memberships. Helped by a fellow AIDs patient, Rayon (Jared
Leto), his ‘clinic’ sees an explosion in membership as his cocktail gains in
popularity. As the FDA and the IRS attempt to shut down his operation, he wages a
one man fight against the forces that would close his enterprise and a hope for
AIDs patients.
It is interesting that the world
has come a long way in the treatment and survivability of AIDs, but back then
there were severely limited resources.
Also the stigma and intolerance of being gay was more pronounced. Ron’s homophobic reactions evolve over time
in a very convincing, realistic way, and he is affected and transformed to the
point where he even takes on Rayon as an unlikely business partner and even
friend. That relationship, that unlikely pairing, is what makes the story
fascinating and at times poignant.
That it took a deadly malady to give his a life purpose and definition is
the supreme irony. By no means a
saint, he has casual sex partners when he isn’t snorting cocaine or boozing it
up, and when he isn’t scamming a buck, utters a plethora of profanities when it
suits him. He is a survivor and hustler
who proves his resourcefulness in obtaining his drugs and vitamins even
resorting to disguises, schmoozing, and legal maneuvering.
McConaughey (Contact, The Lincoln Lawyer) lost as much as 47 pounds for this
role to depict the AIDs ravaged survivor; it’s the role of a lifetime. Leto (Requiem
for a Dream) equally excels as the transvestite and drug addict who
befriends Ron and provides a window into the world of gays and more potential
clients. Jennifer Garner registers a
strong performance as a sympathetic doctor caught between treatment controversies.
You almost wish that the
filmmakers (director Jean-Marc Vallée and screenwriters Craig Borten and Melisa
Wallack) had expanded upon the machinations of the FDA and pharmaceutical drug
companies which held sway over life and death particularly in a standout scene
near the end as Ron confronts the FDA in front of an audience. But this is primarily an intimate portrayal
of a rebel, one whose self discovery leads to remarkable action and a profound
effect on many others.
You do wish some of the plotlines
had been more developed. For instance,
Ron’s police friend, Tucker, has a scene with his elderly father involving a
drug; it would have been nice to develop that subplot which figures later when
Ron needs help in a sticky situation.
***1/2 of **** stars
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