This drama about HIV patients being left to fend mostly for themselves in 1980ies America was well-acted and expertly produced. Though it lacks the emotional depth of “Philadelphia”, it is still quite captivating at times. Matthew McConaughey is giving his all to the role, portraying a character who has surprising drive and compassion, and throught his illness and the struggle with money-grabbing drug companies that own the FDA appears to become a better person and find purpose in his life. Jared Leto absolutely dazzles as trans man Rayon, giving a heartfelt, fearless and absolutely credible performance. Jennifer Garner is a bit colourless as a young idealistic doctor, though. I didn’t quite grasp the purpose of her character. Still, this was a well-cast drama down to the last supporting role. The script, however, struggled to build a tension arc. It felt like watching snapshots of Ron’s life, scenes that appeared almost unconnected emotionally. The film dealt very much with the present moment on screen, which I guess is fair when telling the story of doomed lives that could end at any moment. All they have is the present.
As this was set mostly in the 80ies, I guess you could almost call it a period piece. To that end, the wardrobe and sets were flawless. The colour palette reflected the era as well. Hair and make-up did a marvellous job at transforming – presumably – healthy actors into individuals near death. Excellent work!
All in all, both a frustrating look at how big pharma is hiding behind legislation they wrote for their own gain, preventing people from getting help out of spite, and the beauty of human compassion and determination when faced with dire odds. 3/5
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