Keswick Film Festival

Synopsis

And so we come to the 2nd of our 'Oops! We missed this last season' films. A film that won 3 Oscars, and much acclaim, we just had to have 'Dallas Buyers Club' in Keswick.

The film is about the real-life Ron Woodruff; you will not like him, nor are you supposed to. In the early 80s, good ole boy Ron was making hay while the sun shone on his life, by day 'a trailer-trash electrician…', by night a rodeo loving '...sex-and-drugs hedonist and homophobic-racist outlaw' - Anton Bitel, Film 4.

In 1986 he is told he has AIDS and is given 30 days to live. Not believing that a heterosexual guy could catch 'the homo disease', he refuses to accept his death sentence and goes out to find a cure on his own.

This is not the normal AIDS film, based around loving gay relationships. Ron continues to hate the state, continues to hate gays, but what he does ends up saving the lives of many of them.

The film has had much press due to the impressive performances of two of its stars; Matthew McConaughey plays Ron, losing 38 pounds to make himself look authentic. Jared Leto plays Rayon, the transgender woman who becomes his friend. Among the 69 awards the film won, these two both won Oscars - for best actor and best supporting actor - for their roles; '...what McConaughey does here is transformative. Damn, he's good. Ron lived for nearly seven years after his death sentence. McConaughey makes sure we feel his tenacity and triumphs in the treatment of AIDS. His explosive, unerring portrayal defines what makes an actor great, blazing commitment to a character and the range to make every nuance felt'. 'Leto gives an award-caliber performance of uncanny skill. He makes sure Rayon never loses her caustic wit and touchingly beleaguered grace. Leto is flat-out perfect.' - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone.

An acting treat awaits us.