In just about every respect, “Dallas Buyers Club” is surprising. Incorrectly marketed as a film about a rogue AIDS-patient-turned drug dealer, this movie examines larger themes than its marketing materials imply. Perhaps most surprising is the superb acting — Jared Leto outdoes his exceptional performance in “Requiem for a Dream,” and Matthew McConaughey continues to solidify his reputation as a quality actor.
McConaughey portrays Ron Woodroof, a homophobic, highly irresponsible electrician from Dallas. In the first scene, Woodroof is having a threesome in a stable of a rodeo stadium, which reveals a lot about his character. In addition to being a sex addict, Woodroof is an awful gambler and a drug addict whose drug of choice is cocaine.
When Woodroof is diagnosed with HIV, he initially treats this as a license to do whatever he wants. However, he realizes there may still be a chance to survive in the form of an experimental new drug called AZT. He begs Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) to write him a prescription, but she refuses.
Woodroof’s disease eventually lands him in the hospital where he shares a room with a flamboyant transsexual man named Rayon (Leto). At first, Woodroof is disgusted by Rayon’s company. However, Woodroof and Rayon become business partners in their own buyers club — a club that buys illegal drugs, inciting a war against the FDA and pharmaceutical companies.
Leto’s portrayal of Rayon is striking and genuine. Even after a self-imposed six-year break from acting, Leto gives an extraordinary performance. A dedicated method actor, Leto remained in character the entire shoot, lost 20 pounds and waxed his entire body, including his eyebrows, for the role.
More importantly, the audience becomes lost in Rayon’s character. He is full of happiness, joy and light. At the same time, Rayon suffers from an incurable disease and addiction to various drugs, illegal and prescription alike. The audience does not just watch a character spin out of control — they feel it. Rayon’s character grips the viewer, and by the end of his life, the audience feels as if they knew him intimately, too.
Rayon is the window into the life of an ostracized gay man in the prejudiced 1980s. Throughout the film, homophobic slurs are thrown around, and the audience cannot help but pity him as he lives life hated by most of the world. When Woodroof contracts the disease, he is shunned as much as Rayon is. As a result, the two form a bond.
“Dallas Buyers Club” feels like something of a cult classic, destined to be loved and adored by a select group of people. It cuts deep and explores humanity in extraordinary ways, albeit ways that may not help it achieve mainstream success.
A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Oct. 30 print edition. Kathy Dimaya is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].