Review: Dallas Buyers Club

Human Lives for Sale

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: November 22, 2013 – U.S. (wide)

Rating: R

Genre: Biography, Drama, History

Running Time: 117 minutes

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

Writers: Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, 

Jared Leto, Steve Zahn, Griffin Dunne, 

Michael O'Neill

Matthew McConaughey has such an innate ability to charm that you can't help but like him even as his character makes vile homophobic slurs and acts like a loud, boorish redneck. He's not relying on his movie star good looks either; they have been stripped away completely. Now dozens of pounds lighter with bad brown hair and a bushy mustache, his appearance is almost skeletal.

"Dallas Buyers Club" tells the true story of Ron Woodroof (McConaughey), a good old boy from Texas who was diagnosed with HIV in 1985. Back then, HIV and AIDS were still considered "the gay cancer." But Woodroof is proudly, fiercely straight. The movie begins with him cracking jokes about Rock Hudson's homosexuality – the actor had just died from AIDS. With that mindset, Woodroof's own subsequent HIV+ diagnosis is a shock to his system. His friends certainly don't know how to handle it; they believe he must secretly be a "cocksucker." The only one who remains loyal to him is Tucker (the underrated Steve Zahn in a small role).

Experimental trials are beginning for a new HIV drug called AZT, but not everyone who needs it can get their hands on it; testing is strictly controlled. Given only 30 days to live, a desperate Woodroof approaches a sympathetic doctor, Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner), and begs her to let him buy the drug. She understands his plight but cannot accept his money; her hands are tied by medical laws and the FDA.

Woodroof uses his street smarts to get AZT smuggled out of the hospital. Originally intending to use it only on himself, his plans change after he meets a savvy transgender patient, Rayon (Jared Leto). Despite Woodroof's discomfort around Rayon, they go into business together to supply other people with HIV who need meds right away.

At first, the Dallas Buyers Club is just a means to an end: a way to make money and stay alive. But it soon becomes much more than that, especially when the validity of AZT comes into question. With the help of a medical practitioner in Mexico (played by Griffin Dunne) who lost his license in the States, Woodroof begins researching alternative treatments. One such drug, Peptide T, is not approved by the FDA despite being non-toxic. Another, Interferon, can only be prescribed by Japanese doctors.

My doctor looks like him.
Should I be worried?

The Buyers Club's biggest obstacles are Dr. Sevard (Denis O'Hare) and the FDA themselves. Sevard is a strictly by-the-books doctor who is concerned with his own profit margins and won't take even one step out of regulation. The FDA, represented here by Richard Barkley (Michael O'Neill, who memorably portrayed hospital shooter Gary Clark on "Grey's Anatomy"), does everything in its power to make sure its guidelines are enforced – even at the cost of human lives. Both parties go out of their way to prevent the Dallas Buyers Club from securing and supplying crucial medication to people with HIV. Jennifer Garner's Dr. Saks is caught in the middle: beholden to her boss but beginning to see the benefit the buyers clubs are having in both Dallas and other parts of the country.

Woodroof's transformation from homophobic hick to international businessman and medical researcher is fascinating to watch. Matthew McConaughey once again delivers a mesmerizing performance – in a year filled with interesting roles from him. Along with "Mud," he is doing some of the best work of his career right now. The real revelation here, however, is Jared Leto. I've always been a fan of his work, but he takes it to another level entirely with his sweet, touching, and sometimes heartbreaking portrayal of the transgendered Rayon. I cannot imagine a scenario where he doesn't get nominated for an Academy Award. McConaughey deserves one, too.

"Dallas Buyers Club" is a captivating portrait of another time and place – Dallas, Texas, in the mid-1980s – where AIDS was misunderstood and maligned, and help was all too rare for the people who so urgently needed it. Films like this remind us of how far we've come, and that bravery, progress, and change can originate from the unlikeliest of sources. 

Behind the Scenes of Mud

An Inside Look From the Set

By Mike Sabga

Hollywood Correspondent, SilverScreenSurprises.com

Note: Mike Sabga – known affectionately as "3D Mike" in Hollywood – has over thirty years of experience in the industry. He has worked on many major motion pictures and television series – including "Ocean's Eleven," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "CSI: Miami," and "Brothers & Sisters." His most recent project was "Mud," for which he did Video Playback and Assist. He goes into more detail below and shares some great anecdotes from the set.

Working with Matthew McConaughey

I thought I'd seen it all. In all the 30 years of working in movies I thought I had seen professional actors. However, I must confess that working with Matthew McConaughey took the meaning of professionalism to yet another level!

For starters, let's consider the fact that Matthew was filming both "Mud" and "Magic Mike" at the same time. He would be in Tampa, Florida for "Magic Mike" during the day and then fly out to the White River in Arkansas at night while we were filming "Mud." That alone is stunning.

To add insult to injury, the movie was shot in late November, at the start of the bitterly cold Arkansas winter. This means that Matthew had to wear the skimpy white shirt and blue jeans all night long in temperatures almost below zero, while all the rest of us had our warm ski outfits on!

Even when director Jeff Nichols suggested to Matthew that we should stop for the night, Matthew would insist on finishing the shot list. I thought I had seen it all, but this was beyond greatness. Folks, I was ready to die freezing my backside!!!

Much respect, Matthew...

Filming in Arkansas

The colorful people in the small towns of Dumas and Dewitt, Arkansas, were very excited to have so many famous stars and big time crews coming into their towns and so they treated us very well. They made sure that Reese and Matthew had everything they needed. Considering that there were no five-star hotels in the area, this was not easy to accomplish, but I never heard either Reese, Matthew or anyone else complain about anything.

The Kids: Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland

Undoubtedly, my two favorite people of the film were the two child actors, Tye Sheridan (Ellis) and Jacob Lofland (Neckbone). They were incredible to work with: highly professional for their age, very well-mannered, and brought up properly – the old-fashioned way.

I thought to myself, these kids are not your standard city kids. So it turns out they live in Southern states, in areas where there is plenty of wildlife, trees and rivers – and this explains why the casting director, Francine Maisler, didn't have any problems picking them for these roles. The accent was there, the Southern attitude of growing boys, the curiosity of that age, the explorer spirit... No wonder these two kids had such a great chemistry in "Mud." They were instantly friends forever! You feel it throughout the film, and at the end, you know they are friends for life.

Southern Cuisine

The food was simply incredible. There is no way for me to explain with words how incredible and soulful the food was. You will have to go there yourself to find out. Matthew and Reese loved it. (Of course it helps that they are from the South!)

One incredible anecdote about these kids is that Tye brought a special treat for the cast and crew during the filming of the final shoot-out sequence between Mud and the bounty hunters, and this treat consisted of something called "Venison." It is a type of salami or sausage made of deer or elk – in this case a deer that Tye himself had hunted a few days earlier, and so he was very proud to bring something to the movie set that he had made himself. Everyone was very pleased, and I couldn't stay away from eating it!

A Word about Writer and Director Jeff Nichols

He is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas; a rising star in the world of independent films; a highly talented writer and down-to-earth director who drags you into the story by using the simplicity of life. This film, I feel, is his "baby." He wrote about his native land. He painted beautiful scenes for us with the camera and decorated them with amazing local music. Although not well-known yet, this director will be a household name in a matter of time.

Meanwhile, "Mud" and Jeff have picked up a "Palme d'Or" at Cannes, other awards as well, and are poised to pick up one or more Oscars in February 2014 – so we hope…

Working on "Mud"

I had two types of effects. One is called "Video Playback" and it pertains to the scene where the bounty hunters are in the small motel room and the old man walks in to have a chat with them. If you remember, there was a cartoon playing on an old television set. That is what I did for that scene sequence. I basically provided the old television, the cartoon, and I went to Arkansas to set it up and to "playback" the video of the cartoon during the filming of the scene.

The second video effect was what is called "Video Assist." This consists of a hi-tech video cart that holds various hi-def monitors and computers, which record what the film cameras see through the lens – and then this "video" is played back for the director and for Matthew during the final "shoot-out" sequence at the house boat. This is done so that they can review the stunts, the guns shooting, the angles, etc., and to make sure they "got" everything on film before they move onto the next scene. (This part of my job is one that saves them thousands of dollars.)

This is also done to match camera angles when doing the stunts (like when Matthew rolls on the floor inside the house as they are shooting at him, then when he jumps into the river, etc.).

These two types of video effects are just a small sample of what I do for a living.

In this film, they only required these two types of effects; but in other films, like "Ocean's Eleven," I also did many 3D animations for the computer monitors and TVs you see as part of the scenes.

If you haven't had the chance to see "Mud" yet, go see it! You will not regret it. I sometimes wait for years to have a great script like this fall on my lap, and I didn't hesitate to go out into the Deep South, braving some incredibly dangerous weather, to be part of this amazing film and to see it through. Enjoy it!

• Silver Screen Surprises: Review of "Mud"
• Mike Sabga on IMDB.com

Review: Mud

Matthew McConaughey Stars in What is Sure to Be One of the Year's Best Films

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: April 26, 2013 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 130 minutes

Director: Jeff Nichols

Writer: Jeff Nichols

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, 

Jacob Lofland, Sam Shepard, Reese Witherspoon, 

Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Michael Shannon  

"Mud" tells the story of a man who lives in a boat up on a tree. If that sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale, it's anything but; the movie is very realistic and gritty. The titular character (played by Matthew McConaughey) is hiding out in an island off a river in Arkansas. He's discovered by two boys, Ellis and Neckbone (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland), who take an interest in his boat before realizing that someone is living in it.

The man with the boat introduces himself as Mud. He's quite a sight to see: his hair is wild and stringy, his face is unkempt and unshaven, his teeth are cracked and crooked, and his clothes are ragged. Curiosity gets the best of the boys, and it isn't long before they are regularly visiting Mud – and striking deals with him.

Mud explains that he's waiting for the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), who is the prettiest girl he's ever seen. She has nightingales tattooed on her hands, which is how Ellis is eventually able to recognize her. He spots her outside the Piggly Wiggly – which sounds like one of those great movie names for a store, but believe it or not, it's actually real.

I began to wonder: What kind of person would refer to himself as Mud? Everyone already in his life calls him that, and he asks anyone new he meets to address him by that name as well. What does that say about him and how he feels about himself and views the world? What did he do to become Mud?

As details from Mud's background come to light, Neckbone's uncle (Michael Shannon, in a smaller role after starring in Jeff Nichols' previous film, "Take Shelter")  and Ellis's parents (played by Ray McKinnon, also from "Shelter," and Sarah Paulson) and grow more and more concerned. And then there's the old man who lives across from Ellis's family, Tom Blankenship (Sam Shepard).

Almost every character, big or small, ends up affecting the plot in some significant way. Like a great novel, there are no wasted moments. The writer and director, Jeff Nichols, has finely crafted a tight, compelling script.

The setting of rural Arkansas is a critical component of the film; it completely transports viewers to another world. This is the America that most people don't live in.

In order for a movie like this to truly work, it has to be an actors' showcase. Thankfully, the performances are outstanding – particularly by the three leads. Matthew McConaughey has taken interesting chances over the past few years with a string of roles in independent movies like "Bernie" and "Killer Joe." That trend continues here, and it's some of the best work he's ever done. The two children, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, are just as spectacular. Their performances are completely natural, unforced, and true-to-life. That's all the more amazing when you consider that Sheridan has appeared in only one other film ("The Tree of Life") and Lofland has never been in anything else. The success of "Mud" really hinges on the kids. It is up to them to carry it, and they do, meshing seamlessly with McConaughey and everyone else they share scenes with. The supporting cast more than carries their weight too. There isn't a bad performance in the bunch – but Sam Shepard's character is especially enjoyable.

Without spoiling anything, there's a dramatic sequence near the end, and I could actually feel the rest of the theater getting excited around me. It was exhilarating. The movie is a slow-burner, but it builds and builds with each scene until it pops.

"Mud" features multiple mysteries and several love stories. It's a film that will linger in my memory for some time to come. 

• Behind the Scenes of "Mud" – An Inside Look From the Set