Michael McConaughey is unrecognisable as protagonist Ron Woodroof: a drug and sex-addict (sound a bit like Belfort, anyone?), who discovers he is HIV positive. McConaughey has always been a slim man, but after losing 3.5 stone for the role, he was sickeningly thin. It made for hard viewing. The way I described it to my friend was like 'skin stretched over a skeleton' - no flesh, no blood. Every move he made, every time he fell, you expected him to break every bone in his body. Yet, the dramatic physical change did not seem gratuitous. As McConaughey said himself, 'this wasn't an affectation or an eccentric idea, I had a responsibility to play the man to the best of my ability'.
It was so refreshing to see McConaughey executing a serious role with such passion and, evidently, hard work. This wasn't a gig he just rocked up to and got on with: you can sense the labour which went into getting each line perfect. But, it was completely worth it. There wasn't a moment when his performance lagged or he was outshone - a mean feat considering the weighty talent of his co-star.
Jared Leto gives an absolutely stunning performance as the cheeky, charismatic, but inherently troubled transvestite Rayon. If I had not heard he was in DBC before I watched the film, I honestly would never have guessed it was him. Leto's performance somewhat eludes description - just watch it and see. Hopefully his brilliance will be rewarded with the 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role' Oscar: and, hopefully, he won't take such a long hiatus from acting again.
The friendship between the two protagonists is tenuous but ultimately beautiful. Woodroof is initially fiercely homophobic, but he is eventually able to overcome his prejudices, love Rayon as a person and build a life based around a shared need for companionship and support. Two very disparate worlds intersect in a fabulous way.
Jennifer Garner plays it safe in the role of Dr Eve Saks; yet, this film needed a bit of safeness. While there is little remarkable about her performance, there is also nothing bad to say about it. Garner took the back seat so McConaughey and Leto could drive.
Dallas Buyers Club is not an easy watch. It requires some effort on the part of its audience: to stick with it, to not shy away from the often terrible scenes that unfold. Although I still maintain the 'Best Actor' Oscar is Leo's, McConaughey gives the performance of his career in DBC: drains himself physically and mentally. It is so, so far away from How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, and Magic Mike. McConaughey surely now enters into the realm of the greats and carries DBC along with him.
