FILM REVIEW: Dallas Buyers Club

Thanks to being a member of Outfest, the organization that puts on the Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Film Festival every summer, I was invited to attend a special preview screening of Dallas Buyers Club, a movie about what life was like at the heart of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, before there were any effective treatments at all. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof, Jared Leto as Rayon and Jennifer Garner as Dr. Eva Saks. 

The story follows Woodroff, a Texas good ol' boy who is partying hard in 1985 until he finds out that he has tested positive for HIV and is given 30 days to live. Woodroof does not take the news well and tries to continue his dissolute lifestyle but soon discovers that the stigma again AIDS in 1985 was universal, especially among the straight, white rodeo-attending construction workers that made up Woodroof's primary social circle at the time.

McConaughey's Woodroof is difficult to watch; he looks at least fifty pounds underweight, with a skeletal frame and sunken eyes that brings to mind the uncomfortable memories of the 1980s. However, the physical transformation is just the most notable but not the most significant aspect of his performance in Dallas Buyers Club. That would be the level of humanity and emotional resonance he brings to a little-known story that has a built-in level of pathos and tragedy hard to match. In addition to McConaughey's Woodroof, Leto's Rayon is another revelatory performance. Leto has undergone a similarly dramatic physical transformation, looking as gaunt and unhealthy as McConaughey, but he raises the stakes by also being transgender. Woodroof's reflexive homophobia and Rayon's sassiness combine to produce some of the best scenes in the film, and their (non-sexual) chemistry together is palpable.

Ultimately the story is about one man's fight against The Man. When Woodroof finds out that there is only one drug being actively considered by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to fight AIDS called AZT and the hospital where Garner's Dr. Saks works is running clinical trials he tries to finagle his own personal supply. Woodroof is not one who lives his life obeying rules and he's certainly not going to face death obeying them. He finds out (by doing research in a public library with microfiche, before the Internet or Google!) that there are other drugs that are used in other countries to fight AIDS but the FDA is the primary obstacle to him (and other desperate Americans dying from AIDS) getting access to them. So, he goes off to Mexico and finds out that the drugs are cheaper and they alleviate his symptoms and save his life (or at he very least postpone his death). Always someone quick to recognize a get-rich scheme Woodroof realizes that he could bring back these Mexican drugs and sell them to desperate people with AIDS. The film depicts his struggle to interact with the gay men and intravenous drug users in Dallas in order to sell them medication which he honestly thinks will save their lives. This is where he connect with Rayon and the two go into business together, only to earn virulent opposition by the FDA and the local medical establishment. Woodroof is equally emphatic in his opposition to AZT, which he calls poison and actively encourages Rayon and others not to take it. Eventually they figure out a loophole to the FDA's drug importation regulations; they form a buyer's club where members pay a steep membership fee and membership earns you access to free drugs. When the FDA seizes his drugs at the Mexican border, Woodroof flies all over the world (Japan, Europe, Asia) to get access to the drugs that foreign governments are using to fight AIDS. Eventually the FDA relents to allow dying Americans to get access to drugs that are not formally approved through a compassionate use program. Woodroof still sues the FDA in federal court for preventing him access to unapproved drugs (like peptide T) that has been instrumental in prolonging his life. Dr. Saks eventually joins forces with Woodroof when she realizes that even though his methods are unorthodox, in his own way he is doing the same thing that she is doing: fighting AIDS and giving dying people the hope they need to survive.

The movie is based on a true story so one basically knows going in that it doesn't have a happy ending, but even so the story itself is very compelling, if sometimes difficult to watch, especially as a gay man. However, since there are so few depictions of stories with LGBT characters Dallas Buyers Club is still an important addition to the genre, and an effective illustration of the power of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Title: Dallas Buyers Club.
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée.
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, nudity and drug use.
Release Date: November 1, 2013.
Viewing Date: October 20, 2013.

Writing: B.
Acting: A.
Visuals: A.
Impact: B.

Overall Grade: A-/B+ (3.50/4.0).

Celebrity Friday: Victor Garber Thinks Everyone Knows He's Gay

Victor Garber has been one of my favorite actors since he played the father of the main character Sydney Bristow (played by Ben Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner) on Alias,  J.J. Abrams' first foray into television.

You may also remember him as the architect in James Cameron's Titanic (he is the one who tell Kate Winslet's character that the lifeboats only have the capacity to carry half the people who are on board the doomed ship). recently he is getting noticed as the pivotal role of the Canadian ambassador in Affleck's Argo (which last Sunday won the Golden Globe for Best Director and Best Film--Drama).

One of my blog friends, Greg in Hollywood did an interview with Garber which got interesting:

I just decided to ask him: “Wikipedia lists Rainer Andreesen as your partner. I wondered if that’s something that’s public, that you’ve confirmed.”

He seemed surprised by the question but said: ‘I don’t really talk about it but everybody knows.”

Garber then added: “He’s going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards.”

So in the end, our chat ended up being a bit more interesting than I thought it would be!

Interesting contrast between Garber's coming out and Jodie Foster. Then again it is probably not too fair to compare the two since Jodie is a 2-time Oscar-winning actress and has generally been in more and higher-profile films than Garber.

Celebrity Friday: Fringe Renewed for Final Season

The television show Fringe has been on the verge of cancellation from almost the very beginning. It was created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci. Unfortunately, it never was able to capture the imagination of a wide audience like Abrams' Lost although it was spared the ignominy that his NBC show Undercovers underwent (cancellation in under 10 episodes). Kurtzman and Orci also worked together on Alias, which was one of my favorite shows and made Jennifer Garner a star.

The stars of  Fringe are Anna Torv, John Noble and Joshua Jackson. The show is really an update of Fox's The X-Files with a more complicated "mythology" back story and even wilder, more unbelievable phenomenon. It varies between frankly ridiculous plots but it's the acting and the relationships between the characters which has me hooked. It airs Friday nights at 9pm.

Now, happily, the news has been announced that Fringe has been renewed for a fifth and final season (of 13 episodes).

Celebrity Friday: Bradley Cooper Named Sexiest Man Alive

Bradley Cooper has been named "the sexiest man alive" by People magazine, annoying fans of Ryan Gosling. I have been a fan of Cooper's since his appearance on J.J. Abrams' Alias television show which starred Jennifer Garner as a secret CIA agent with family issues and Michael Vartan as her handler and love-interest. Cooper played Garner's best friend who was also in love with her. Even back then I could not understand why garner's character would prefer Vartan over Cooper.

Now that the 36-year-old single guy has become a bona fide movie star with appearances in The Hangover and its sequel his profile has soared. This was his reaction when he learned he had been named the sexiest man alive for 2011 by People:

"I think it's really cool that a guy who doesn't look like a model can have this [title]," saysthe Hangover actor, 36. "I think I'm a decent-looking guy. Sometimes I can look great, and other times I look horrifying." 


Another reason to love him? Cooper, whose father Charles passed away in January, is especially close with his mom, Gloria. When he learned he'd been crowned Sexiest Man Alive, the "first thing I thought," he says, "was, 'My mother is going to be so happy.' " 

Congratulations, Bradley

My Favorite TV Shows of the Decade 2000-2009

Here is my Top 10 list of my favorite television shows from the last decade, broadcast sometime from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2009.

1. The Wire. Probably the best drama on television ever. Sadly, because it was set in inner-city Baltimore and centered around the Baltimore Police Department undercover detective operations (thus the title) it limited its appeal. Each of the five seasons concentrated on a different aspect of life in Baltimore: (Season 1) drug/gangs, (Season 2) unions, (Season 3) , politics/elections (Season 4) the school system, (Season 5) the newspaper/local media. If you watched it once, you were hooked (except for Season 2). Highlight: the instrumental music which plays over the end-credits, Michael K. Williams as the openly gay gangster thug Omar Little, "Hamsterdam" the failed attempt to legalize drugs in Baltimore and the story arc of the quartet of 13-year-old boys who are the focus of Season 5.
   
2. Lost. I started watching Lost from the very beginning because I was a huge fan of his first television series Alias, starring the amazing Jennifer Garner. I was immediately taken in by the huge, multi-ethnic, talented cast and the sheer suspense of the story. I was always more interested in the dramatic aspects of the show instead of the character aspects of the love triangle (or is it a rhombus?) between Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Juliet. I will be very sad when the entire series ends in May 2010 but I am confident that the writers know exactly what they are doing and have been planning this ride for at least a few years, if not from the very beginning. Highlight: The 4th season finale when suddenly we realize we will not only be seeing flashbacks from the past but flash forwards from the future and that the entire story is an enigma wrapped around a riddle involving time-travel.
   
3. Six Feet Under. A family drama about dysfunctional people who run a funeral home in Los Angeles where the patriarch is killed in the first 5 minutes of the pilot? The conceit of Alan Ball's show was that there would be a different, quirky or sad death in the first 60 seconds of each episode. But the glue that held the show together was incredible acting from Lauren Ambrose, Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall as the three adult siblings and their mother, played by Frances Conroy. The guest stars were legendary and always a delight. Highlight: the final three minutes of the show, featuring a coda depicting the deaths of all the major characters set to the song "Breathe Me" by Sia Fuller is the single best conclusion to a television series, ever.
4. Alias. Prior to its debut for what seemed like months all around Los Angeles appeared images of some attractive girl in a bright pink wig with the words "Alias" and the the time and channel. For some reason this sparked my curiosity and was immediately hooked by the central character of a strong, smart female character played by Jennifer Garner and her two impossibly attractive male co-stars, played by Michael Vartan and Bradley Cooper. However, it was the central, complex, intricately woven mythology of the show which made my buy the DVDs and stay with the show through to the disappointing conclusion, when its creator, the now-famous J.J. Abrams, was off working on his next big thing, which turned out to be a little show called Lost. Highlight: Lena Olin as Jennifer Garner's mother Irina Derevko, who shoots her daughter in her very first scene.
5. Battlestar Galactica. Two words: incredible acting. The acting ensemble headed by Mary McDonnell as the President and Edward James Olmos as Commander Bill Adama at some points took your breath away. Calling it a remake of the chintzy late 1970s television series (which itself was trying to appropriate popularity from Star Wars) with the same name does not do it justice. The visual effects were excellent, but always used to forward the story, which was all about survival of humanity itself, after 99.99% of all known human life was extinguished in a nuclear holocaust by cybernetic individuals who are indistinguishable from their victims. Highlight: the Cylon attack at the beginning of the series, as well as the reveal at the very end of the series that the entire series actually took place in humanity's prehistoric past, not our distant future.
6. Sex and the City. How could any gay man not include this delightful HBO comedy about the lives of four women who metaphrically represent gay male archetypes in New York City? Starring Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) as The Writer, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) as The Slut, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) as The Best Friend and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) as The Prude Sex and the City was appointment television for almost half of the decade. The writing was always strong, and it was impressive how many arcs they could get into each 25-minute episode. Highlight: the sheer zaniness and sincere sexuality of Samantha and the matter-of-fact depiction of urban living and gay life.
   
7. The Venture Brothers. How best to describe this cult cartoon from Adult Swim on Cartoon Network? The Venture Brothers are Hank and Dean Venture, who are the sons of Dr. Rusty Venture, an ethically challenged super-scientist who is the son of another Dr. Rusty Venture who was also a super-scientist cum superhero. Other characters include Brock Sampson, an ultra macho bodyguard who kills anyone who threatens the Ventures with impunity and without remorse, The Monarch, Venture's arch-nemesis, The Monarch's wife Dr. Girlfriend who inexplicably has a deeper voice than Brock and Dr. Orpheus, a mysterious magician who rents a room at the Venture compound. You really just need to watch it to understand it. Suffice it to say that it parodies any and every superhero and supervillian trope you have ever seen, while simultaneously being hysterically funny and always entertaining. Highlight: The accompanying music to Dr. Orpheus (voiced by the incredible Steven Rattazzi) whenever he practices magic and the overall story arc which explains the lack of parental empathy Rusty feels for both Hank and Dean.
8. The West Wing. For political junkies, before the rise of the political blogosphere The West Wing was our fix. By depicting the inner workings and relationships involved in the West Wing of the White House, (especially under a Democratic President) with such verisimilitude and vivacity, creator Aaron Sorkin's show made politics cool and a fun escape from the dreariness of the reality of the Bush Administration. Highlight: The rapid fire dialogue between Allison Janney's CJ Craig and Martin Sheen's President Jedediah Bartlett.
   
9. ER. I know, I know, everybody else stopped watching the show years ago. The show limped to an end after nearly 15 years on NBC this year. When ER debuted the country was still in the first Clinton administration! But what kept ER on my list of shows to watch every week for over a decade was the brutally consistent level of excitement and adrenaline combined with a constantly changing array of compelling characters. Highlight: The relationship between Noah Wylie's Dr. John Carter and Eric LaSalle's Dr. Peter Benton and the depiction of physically challenged Dr. Kerry Weaver by Laura Innes.
   
10. The Daily Show/The Colbert Report. This was the decade that brought us the twin joys of Jon Stewart and The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report. Both of these "fake news" shows did such a good job of skewering the important current events of the day that many surveys report that significant portions of Americans under age 30 get their take on the news from either Stewart or Colbert. Highlight: So many! "Truthiness." Samantha Bee. John Hodgman. Senior Black Correspondent.
    

And since I couldn't just mention only ten television shows for an entire decade, here are more (not in any order) that should not be forgotten, as well as a few more to keep your eye on in the future.

Honorable Mentions: Survivor, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives, The Closer, Entourage, 24, The Real World, Frasier and The Office.
Potential, but too soon to tell (but things look good so far for these being on the 2019 list): Glee, True Blood, Stargate: Universe, Damages and Flash Forward.

DVD REVIEW: The Kingdom

The movie The Kingdom was my second requested Netflix DVD, after Eastern Promises (see Mad Professah's review). The film stars Oscar winners Jamie Lee Foxx (Best Actor, "Ray"), Chris Cooper (Best Supporting Actor, "Adaptation") and Jennifer Garner and was directed by Peter Berg (the creator of the television show Friday Night Lights).


Although widely considered a box-office failure with a mere $47 million in domestic receipts, the did grab a fair amount of attention due to its subject matter: a terrorist attack on an American compound in the kingdom of Saudia Arabia leads to an American team of FBI forensic investigators being sent in to try to solve the crime.


The film takes a hard, close look at life in Saudi Arabia and tries to catch some of the nuances and contradictions of the Muslim-Western kulturkampf (culture war).


The acting is quite good, with Jennifer Garner easily holding her own among her two celebrated co-stars. The action is really well-directed and pulse-poundingly suspenseful. The main defect of the movie is its baldfaced descent into schmaltz (repeatedly). Also, some viewers may find its neutral political posture annoying.


As a piece of filmed entertainment, The Kingdom is effective and should definitely be rented, especially if you (like me) missed it in the theater the first time.


GRADE: B+.