Dallas Buyers Club is a film that not only takes an unlikely hero and makes audiences respect him but it also stars two actors who seem to melt into their characters and give us performances (and a story) that audiences can rally behind.

After a work-related accident lands him in the hospital, Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) learns that he has AIDS. When the medicine he takes for treatment proves inefficient, he travels to Mexico where he learns about medical drugs—not approved by the FDA—that help those suffering from the virus. Smuggling the drugs back and forth from Mexico and other foreign countries, Woodroof—with help from Rayon (Jared Leto)—creates the Dallas Buyers Club to aid all of those ailing from the same disease.

For everyone who has seriously questioned (or outright doubted) McConaughey’s talents (given his romantic-comedy infested filmography), ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ will leave them in silence and in complete shock. His character, Woodroof, is a homophobic rodeo cowboy whose drug and sex addiction lead to his being diagnosed with AIDS. With his prejudices and various vices, he’s unafraid to voice his opinion, he has a strong will to live and, although it is also slightly motivated by money and being isolated by his friends—he realizes that the same people he hates will meet the same end if nothing is done. McConaughey doesn’t hold anything back in this very strong performance as a man with nothing to lose and a great deal to gain. In a few scenes where his character breaks down and, despite his character’s attributes, McConaughey demands empathy.

While McConaughey owns his role, Leto transforms into Rayon, a transgendered woman who Woodroof meets in the hospital and eventually becomes Woodroof’s business partner. Leto doesn’t just draw you in, but the actor is completely forgotten and we are simply watching a real person walk unashamed across our screen and insist, tease, and charm his way into convincing us to pay him full attention and gradually rid Woodroof of his intolerance.

The editing and structure of ‘Dallas Buyers Club’, although formulaic and familiar, works for this film. Adding to perhaps the best way to tell this story is the actual footage interwoven into scenes with our actors to remind audiences that this film is an account of a real man’s story and success with the Dallas Buyers Club. We, like Woodroof in the film, are plunged into history lessons and facts based on research concerning the disease, the FDA and their rules and regulations, the pharmaceutical industry, and AIDS patients’ struggles with acquiring effective treatment. Screenwriters Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack school audiences without taking them out of the movie completely. It is done in a very subtle way and only adds great depth to this story. On top of telling another’s story and taking away messages about the will to survive and ethics, especially concerning the medical field, it is refreshing to also take back a little bit of our history with us too.

At times, the shaky camera is a slight overkill. While it is understandable why Director Jean-Marc Vallee may have wanted to add a bit more realism to the story, this was unnecessary as the cuts to actual footage and allusions made this effect possible.

‘Dallas Buyers Club’ is a film worthy of seeing in theaters for its outstanding performances, its life lessons, its sensitivity to the victims of the subject matter, and its stirring content.

Jim’s Rating: 8.75/10

Kicking off the “movie holiday season” is yet another film in which preteens and teens are forced to become adults. Based on the novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender Wiggins (Asa Butterfield) is selected by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) to attend Battle School. Through several battle games and computer simulations, Ender’s ultimate task is to become a commander worthy of protecting Earth from an alien invasion.

 
As with many book-to-film adaptations, various things about the book—characterization, subplots, conflicts, conversations, etc.—are changed due to the interpretation of the writers and the director, the aesthetic impact, and/or how much a certain plot point or scene in the book may translate well onscreen for various audience members. Thus, filmmakers risk losing fans who are so dedicated to the novel. Nevertheless, for the most part, Gavin Hood’s ‘Ender’s Game’ covers events in the book that lay the foundation for Ender’s story: a brilliant, young mind being trained to command many and also deals with being bullied by older students and being treated in harsh manners by his instructors in the process.

 
‘Gravity’ isn’t the only one exquisitely capturing space. In this setting, cinematographers have the freedom to wow audiences not only with the story they are telling, but also with the one they aren’t. ‘Ender’s Game’ is a beautifully shot film showcasing all of what Ender’s world has to offer—an extraterrestrial battle school and action sequences in no-gravity zones.

Given that Ender is training in space, where one would have to get comfortable in a zero-gravity field, ‘Ender’s Game’ did not give its audiences (more specifically with the book fans) more scenes in battle school. Quite a bit of this film seems rushed; the film should’ve been extended (by about twenty to thirty minutes) to show the extent of his training. Scott’s ‘Ender’s Game’ are very detailed and provide more insight into Ender’s thoughts, feelings, command strategy, and a taste of what Ender and his squad would have to encounter when the time came to go to war. As mentioned previously, it may have made the film longer, but these moments are very crucial, especially for a story of this nature. Additionally, terminology used (i.e., “third”, in the beginning of the film) and a reoccurring theme that stems from Ender comparing and separating himself from his brother’s brutal behavior is lost on audiences. (Arguably, since there’s a political subplot dealt with in the actual novel the latter was completely overlooked in the film that would have made this repeated comment more relevant, it’s probably best that Hood omitted this). The script for ‘Ender’s Game’ might have had more substance including some of these essential plot points instead of leaving us a bit empty in the end.

 
Despite its negligence with some key parts in the novel, ‘Ender’s Game’ is a visually-pleasing and amusing alternative to ‘Hunger Games’ with a few interesting approaches to dealing with a grave reality.

Jim’s Rating: 6.25/10

At first glance, ‘Gravity’ may not seem like much with Sandra Bullock’s character freaking out making one possibly assume that all is lost. However, you are denying yourself a visually breathtaking and out-of-this-world (sorry) experience.

On a routine spacewalk, three astronauts are told by NASA that debris from a satellite crash is headed their way. Motivated by her colleague (George Clooney), Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) must do everything possible to try to make it home safely.

A trip to IMAX 3-D is the only way to fully experience all that ‘Gravity’ has to offer. It’s easy to forget how exquisite Earth looks from above. Based on the view that the special effects team has granted audiences, it would be no surprise if this team received recognition from either the Hollywood Foreign Press or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Not only do the images look clean and elegant, but audiences become part of the experience with the camera immersing itself into the action.

Clooney’s performance, serving as both the comedic relief and the drive behind this film, is one that makes acting look simple. As an actor who’s been in the industry for a long time, it should come as no surprise that he’s mastered it and ‘Gravity’, is proof of his talent. In combination with writers Alfonso and Jonas Cuarόn, Clooney nails his role as an experienced, low-key astronaut telling ridiculous (but funny) jokes and being the backbone to Bullock’s inexperienced and tense medical engineer.

As a sci-fi thriller set in space, ‘Gravity’ must have a score that sets the tone (pun unintended) for the entire film; it enhances this intense experience. At times, it’s the characters’ heartbeats (or our very own), it’s our warning of the coming catastrophe, and our inspiration for a satisfying outcome.

Nothing is stronger than our will to live and that life lesson is done extremely well in a scene featuring Clooney later on in the film. It’s a subtle move by the Cuarόns, but one that speaks volumes in terms of instinct.

The only downside to this film is that of Bullock’s performance. While she has proven herself worthy of an Oscar (i.e., “Blind Side”), her portrayal is a bit stale. Clooney’s presence is felt more, which is a bit disappointing considering the circumstances. Bullock holds back, however, in a role that commands everything but that very action. Considering that it is difficult to evoke an emotion other than panicked and incredibly frustrated amidst green screens, her approach to Stone seems rehearsed and empty. For the bulk of the film, she’s consistently in danger, and while contempt is felt for her situation, it’s the actual situation that calls for our sympathy rather than her reactions to what she’s experiencing.

‘Gravity’ is about one’s will to live set against an environment that makes very few things possible. Although Bullock is not at her best, it is still enough to keep us intrigued paired with Clooney’s performance (a spot-on move by casting), breathtaking cinematography, and a beautiful, yet intense score.

Jim’s Rating: 7.5/10

‘Don Jon’ centers on a man and his addiction to porn. Although that may not seem like a good time at the movies, don’t write it off just yet. This film isn’t a porno as some would want you to believe, but it’s about a young man who’s built up pornography as something of higher value than relationships.

Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), dubbed by his friends as ‘Don Jon’ for being a womanizer, is a 20-something year-old man from New   Jersey who only cares for a few things: his family, his friends, his church, his women, and his porn. His life takes a turn when he meets Barbara, a young woman whose standards rest on those portrayed in romantic comedies.

In his directorial debut, Joseph Gordon-Levitt displays his talent for writing (and directing) dramatic scenes. For the most part, with all of the characters’ interactions, we get the feeling that these conversations come from a genuine place. Gordon-Levitt disappears into his character making it difficult to believe that he’s anyone else but a guy who’s not only blind to his obsession, but repeatedly justifies his needy and neurotic behavior. It’s a role that audiences haven’t seen him tackle yet and ‘Don Jon’ has now proven his range as an actor.

Julianne Moore is Esther, an older woman who is the voice of reason for Jon in getting him to realize how too important porn has become and the effects of this in his relationship with Barbara. Our time with Esther onscreen is one of the lighter moments of the film. Moore’s depiction of her is that of a down-to-earth, outgoing woman who seems to hold it together despite her troubled past, which is touched on very briefly in the movie.

Reuniting onscreen with Gordon-Levitt is Tony Danza playing the latter’s father, Jon Sr., a character who’s not only humorous but whose character traits mimic those shown in his son and arguably make one question why he hasn’t been in more movies throughout his career. Albeit a small role, Danza hasn’t lost it.

With ‘Don Jon’ giving us a look at a man “thriving” with a porn addiction against the backdrop of a comedy, some of the scenes are meant to make you uncomfortable (i.e., the extreme close-ups to the computer scene showing pornography). Script-wise, this is a brilliant move, but it may just be the very factor that makes people unenthusiastic about seeing this film in theaters (regardless of whether or not the plot synopsis was researched prior to viewing).

Johansson’s character, at times, is a little much to grasp. An argument that she has with Jon at a supermarket, for example, isn’t a conversation that normal couples have. While it’s clear that these aren’t normal people in an average romantic relationship, her stance in the dispute isn’t one that fits with her ideals of the perfect relationship: the man giving up everything in order to be with the woman he loves.

Furthermore, Esther’s role relative to Jon develops into something that doesn’t fit. It’s another instance where situations in the way that they happen make sense written in a script, but onscreen, the chemistry isn’t quite there.

Throughout the film, we are shown scenes in a routine matter that display Jon’s progressive character development. However, after the first few times, it gets to be too much to the extent of being beaten over the head with it.

‘Don Jon’ is about letting go of one’s expectations in a relationship. It also touches on the objectification of women and the result of that with its viewers. Finally, Don Jon is an original comedy with more to it than its trailer and, despite some of its oversights, is a testament to the great potential Gordon-Levitt has as a screenwriter-director.

Jim’s Rating: 6.75/10