In 1985, Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) is a homophobic, womanising electrician who refuses to believe that he's dying from Aids, like Rock Hudson. Desperate for treatment, he ignores his doctors (O'Hare and Garner) to get his own supply of AZT, which makes him feel worse. So he heads to Mexico and discovers a range of helpful treatment America's Food and Drug Administration refuses to approve. So he starts importing them himself, forming a members' club to circumvent the law. Reluctantly working with transgendered Rayon (Leto), he becomes a regular target for the FDA's lawyer (O'Neill).

Ron's customers are willing to pay a small fortune for a slim chance to survive longer than the horrifically short diagnoses they get from hospitals. And as his business picks up he travels the world from Japan to Israel to China to Holland for the latest cutting-edge meds. So it's seriously infuriating to watch the US government continually work to shut him down and instead give people the toxic, ineffective, vastly overpriced AZT.

McConaughey is solid as the not-always-likeable Ron, an abrasive man who has his narrow mind blown open as the story progresses. He's not that much nicer in the end, but the startlingly gaunt McConaughey does a great job at drawing a whisper of our sympathy. Garner is also terrific as the face of compassion in the story, while Leto is the movie's heart and soul, delivering a wrenchingly powerful performance that continually surprises us.

Director Vallee cuts through the colourful 1980s period details to reveal raw human tenacity and mercy. Watching this redneck idiot turn into a champion for the people is seriously inspirational, especially as we see that the key to his success is learning to empathise with the people around him, even if he can't admit it to himself. It's a wonderful story that's packed with timeless relevance. And it reminds us of a dark period in American history that can never be repeated.

themes, language, sexuality, violence, drugs

11.Nov.13