Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Jonathan Perez88 said:Watched it yesterday—really enjoyed 👍. All three nominations were totally earned, though whether they actually take home an Oscar remains to be seen; I still have a few more films to get through first.

Anyway, Jared was incredible—that scene where he goes to see his dad 🙏. No makeup, no costume, yet he looked like a complete woman.

On the other hand, Jennifer Garner was underwhelming. She felt exactly the same as always; her character just lacked any real depth. With MMA, it’s obvious what drives him: first survival, then profit. It’s only much later that he realizes he actually cares. But Jennifer 🤷, why did she care so much about Rayon? "He was my friend also"? Since when? Honestly, I think she’s only there to provide a little bit of reassurance that "hey, there are actually some good doctors out there."

Well, we didn't exactly sit through a mountain of "steamy" scenes between them—the movie wasn't really wasting time on that—but it’s pretty clearly established that she’s been his doctor for quite a while, way before MM even stepped onto the scene. She’s portrayed as someone who actually gives a damn about her patients and builds real connections with them, so it works for me.

That said, I totally agree that Garner is the weakest link in this whole thing. Honestly, maybe some other actress could have squeezed more out of that thin, skeletal script they gave her.
Or maybe not.🤷

Yeah, it's clearly highlighted—including that whole "is my cleavage too low?" scene—but I don't know, I just didn't feel any spark between the two of them 😬.

Heh, honestly, I’ve never really felt anything from Garner, so this isn't exactly an exception either.

She’s just plain weak when it comes to actually selling an emotional performance. For me, there's just nothing there.

I guess they probably cast her because she has that naturally warm look and generally gives off the vibe of being a good, decent person at first glance.

But at the end of the day, she’s got one face and that’s about it. 🤷

Yeah, exactly—I have one friend who just happens to be a genuinely good, decent person 😁.

Matthew is absolutely killing it in the lead role, totally Oscar worthy. I wasn't super blown away by Leto though, maybe I just went in with too high expectations 🤷 I mean, you gotta hand it to him for that whole transformation into a transvestite—I don't think anyone else in an American movie has pulled that off quite like this. The nomination is definitely deserved, but for me, Jonah Hill is still the standout. As for Jennifer Garner, there’s really no point even wasting breath on her; everyone knows what they think already.
The movie is solid, even if it goes a bit overboard demonizing the pharmaceutical industry and those "evil bribed doctors." But hey, I guess every story needs some conflict and "villains," right? Honestly, the trial should have taken up way more screen time. Since the movie ends with such a definitive verdict, the courtroom drama really should have been the core of the whole thing.

Rating: a shaky 7/10 mostly because of McConaughey.

Just finished watching. Honestly, it turned out way better than I was expecting. Leto is fantastic, but Jennifer Garner’s whole pathetic expression thing really rubbed me the wrong way. Like, how can someone act and have absolutely zero depth? Compared to American Hustle, this was actually a pleasant surprise.

Garner felt totally fake and wooden. It’s like she was just uncomfortable being part of such a provocative movie 😕

But honestly, that's my only gripe. What a pleasant surprise 😲
Matt is a genius for taking an unlikable, ignorant, and stubborn character and turning him into a flesh-and-blood human being you can actually empathize with and pity 🙏
Jared was also really good, but I have to wonder—did they even cast him just to make Ron look better? You know, like he was reforming himself while surrounded by a bunch of queers 🤷
It's a fascinating subject; I actually found myself wanting to learn more about those clubs (they mentioned one in NY) and how all those supplements and medications actually worked. Truly gripping stuff 👍
7/10

To prepare for his Oscar-nominated role as a drug smuggler providing supplies to AIDS patients in Dallas Buyers Club, Matthew McConaughey dropped an incredible 3 kilograms per week. His daily diet consisted of nothing more than a single serving of tapioca pudding, two diet Coca-Colas, two egg whites, and a small piece of chicken.
The six-foot athlete managed to plummet from roughly 185 pounds down to a mere 143 pounds, leaving him looking like little more than skin and bones.
An absolutely staggering transformation...
It seems that Christian Bale is perhaps the only other actor willing to undergo such extreme physical transformations for a role—transformations that can take a serious toll on one's health and even become life-threatening...

A typical Oscar contender; I wasn't particularly impressed. There were only three scenes worth mentioning or capable of stirring any actual emotion: the prayer in the strip club, the sex scene with the woman living with AIDS, and Rayon's confrontation with his father.

Jared Leto definitely earned that Oscar nomination; he was incredibly convincing playing a trans woman. It actually fascinated me how he managed to pull off a more feminine vibe than most women I know. 😁 And Matthew M. creepy also did an awesome job! All in all, it’s a pretty solid movie.

Honestly, this movie was incredible—way better than I was expecting.

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto were both absolutely brilliant. Honestly, it wouldn’t be out of line at all if Matthew McConaughey walked away with an Oscar for this role. Beyond just that insane physical transformation, his performance was just top-tier.

And Garner... 😕

As for the FDA... look, we definitely need agencies to regulate what hits the market (and sure, they have a purpose), but you can't ignore how everyone nowadays prioritizes profit margins over actual human lives. They captured that reality perfectly here. 👍

I don't have much to add; for the most part, I find myself agreeing with everyone here. Jared and Matthew absolutely earned those Oscars. What incredible transformations from both of them. They are truly exceptional actors.

I hadn't given Matthew much credit as an actor before this, so this was a massive, welcome surprise.
Overall, the film caught me off guard... honestly, it’s better than most of the other Oscar nominees this year.

Oh right, and a nod to Garner as well. Though she felt pretty insignificant and unnecessary. 🤷

Mark Lee4 said:I don't have much to add; for the most part, I find myself agreeing with everyone here. Jared and Matthew absolutely earned those Oscars. What incredible transformations from both of them. They are truly exceptional actors.

I hadn't given Matthew much credit as an actor before this, so this was a massive, welcome surprise.
Overall, the film caught me off guard... honestly, it’s better than most of the other Oscar nominees this year.

Oh right, and a nod to Garner as well. Though she felt pretty insignificant and unnecessary. 🤷

Man, I’m gonna be real with you—up until about a year ago, I thought this guy was one of the absolute worst actors out there. Seriously, just couldn't get into his stuff... But man, has he changed lately! In just the last year, he has totally won me over with all the different roles he's been crushing in movies everywhere... He's on a roll now!

Check this out! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1935179/
Check this out! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189340/

And honestly, this might even be his best one yet... there's just something about it, you know? It’s got that total Tarantino vibe to it... 🙂
Check this out! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1726669/

Man, I'm telling you, the betting odds on Leto are absolutely insane right now... they've got him sitting at like 1.05 to win an Oscar! It’s basically a sure thing according to the bookies... crazy, right? 😬

rustypanther13 said:To prepare for his Oscar-nominated role as a drug smuggler providing supplies to AIDS patients in Dallas Buyers Club, Matthew McConaughey dropped an incredible 3 kilograms per week. His daily diet consisted of nothing more than a single serving of tapioca pudding, two diet Coca-Colas, two egg whites, and a small piece of chicken.
The six-foot athlete managed to plummet from roughly 185 pounds down to a mere 143 pounds, leaving him looking like little more than skin and bones.
An absolutely staggering transformation...
It seems that Christian Bale is perhaps the only other actor willing to undergo such extreme physical transformations for a role—transformations that can take a serious toll on one's health and even become life-threatening...

What do you mean 2m?
He’s 182cm.
Just imagine how a guy would look weighing 65kg at 2m.🤣

Sure, he was pretty buff until recently, then he lost it all in a few months.🙂
He’s not even 20 anymore, so he can't just bounce back to his old self easily without supplements. Personally, I'd smoke everything just to land a role like that.

The movie didn't really hit me (not saying it's bad), but it's predictable. At least it isn't overly pathetic, which usually happens with these types of stories.
The whole "gay character" trope has been done a hundred times already, and Leto's acting doesn't particularly stand out here🤷. It feels like a copy of plenty of similar roles we've seen before.

Jonah Hill >>>>>> Leto

This movie is killer 👍

Even for me, seeing the usually bland Matt McC undergo such a massive acting transformation—aside from the physical stuff, anyway 🙏

He and Leto are seriously brilliant...

I totally agree that Jennifer Garner felt a bit forced in this one; her scenes were honestly kind of awkward to sit through 🤷

All in all, just an awesome flick with top-tier acting 👍

To be honest, I used to think McConaughey was one of the most underwhelming actors out there—not just in terms of his presence, but just how he carries himself on screen. Then I caught Wolf of Wall Street and realized he was actually the highlight of the whole thing, even though his role was pretty minor
Then I watched Dallas Buyers Club, and everything changed... the film itself, his performance, the whole vibe, it all just blew me away
And then, the icing on the cake, True Detective

I have to say, McConaughey is easily my biggest surprise of the year, and Dallas Buyers Club is genuinely a phenomenal film

I’d definitely suggest checking out last year's Mud, too—McConaughey is absolutely killing it in that one. 🙂

Really solid movie. Matthew M. creepy actually caught me off guard with his performance, especially seeing that level of sheer willpower required to physically transform himself like that for a role.

driftingseal11 said:I’d definitely suggest checking out last year's Mud, too—McConaughey is absolutely killing it in that one. 🙂

Alright, I'm heading over to IMDb right now. Honestly, this could be my plan for tonight. It turns out this McConaughey guy is actually quite the revelation...

Paul Booth6 said:To be honest, I used to think McConaughey was one of the most underwhelming actors out there—not just in terms of his presence, but just how he carries himself on screen. Then I caught Wolf of Wall Street and realized he was actually the highlight of the whole thing, even though his role was pretty minor
Then I watched Dallas Buyers Club, and everything changed... the film itself, his performance, the whole vibe, it all just blew me away
And then, the icing on the cake, True Detective

I have to say, McConaughey is easily my biggest surprise of the year, and Dallas Buyers Club is genuinely a phenomenal film

It’s not just you, everyone feels that way. 😁

driftingseal11 said:I’d definitely suggest checking out last year's Mud, too—McConaughey is absolutely killing it in that one. 🙂

I don't get why everyone raves about that movie; to me, it was a bit of a disaster.
Honestly, I couldn't even finish it. Or maybe I skipped parts—it was boring as hell. There's this one scene where Matthew is staring lovingly at Reesa while she's on a balcony or something... god, give me a break. :faceapalm: 🤣
As for McConaughey, I'll give him credit for Dallas Buyers Club, True Detective, and that little bit in Wolf of Wall Street.
I haven't really seen his older stuff, though.