Review of Dallas Buyers Club (2013) by A T — 12 Jul 2014

I definitely liked the movie a lot more than I thought. I still have issues with it, but the movie moves briskly thanks to the charisma of McConaughey even if it trends familiar "man vs government" and Oscar bait themes.

I initially thought I had issues with Rayon's performance from the trailers, but I think now it's more an issue of the makeup (which for some reason this movie won the Oscar for) Leto I can say actually deserves to win for the performance so it goes to show you can't judge a movie by it's trailer.

Gardner is just...ok as the doctor lady friend, but I feel they could have cast someone else and cut the budget lower or just made it somehow more fleshed out. There are just a lot of weird "Oscar-isms" here like why everyone is a drug addict, how he gets all the medical knowledge (Limitless?), the "Jennifer Lawrence school of yelling at authority" for an Oscar scene, how his strength changes for the scene he needs it, how his money changes for the scenes he needs it.

Still it's on the better end spectrum of Oscar bait, even if it isn't my favourite movie of 2013 or ever.