dallas buyers club

I went to the Watershed this afternoon to see Jean-Marc Vallee’s film “Dallas Buyers Club” – based on the true story of accidental AIDS activist and homophobe, Ron Woodroof (no doubt with the occasional embellishments from the writers!). Set in 1986, in the early, very scary, days of the AIDS epidemic, the main character (quite brilliantly played by Matthew McConaughey) ends up in hospital following a work accident and discovers he’s HIV positive and that he has 30 days to live. He ends up “researching” alternative treatments (completely against the law and much to the annoyance of the authorities!) with his unlikely, transgender woman business partner Rayon (again, impressively portrayed by Jared Leto) and sets up a club where $400 membership comes with a month’s supply of medication. Needless to say, Woodroof didn’t cram all this activity into his final 30 days - he did manage to extend his life for a little longer…

It’s a brilliant, powerful, brutally-funny, sad, yet beautiful film and I think you should definitely see it if you can… one of the best films I’ve seen over the past six months or so.