Alright, alright, alright. 

To kick things off, coming in at number 10 on the list of greatest movies ever is the 2013 biography-drama “Dallas Buyers Club”. DBC stars legend Matthew Mcconaughey as Ron Woodroof, a Dallas rodeo heterosexual man who discovers he has AIDS. The movie tells the true story of Ron’s campaign to bring unapproved pharmaceuticals to those who were unable to get on the list for clinical trials, or could not afford the astronomical prices of the FDA approved medication.

Jared Leto as Rayon in “Dallas Buyers Club”

I first watched this movie in 2015 with my older brother, Matthew. As you will quickly learn in the coming weeks, Matt has recommended to be the majority of my favorite movies. He has seen the glisten in my eyes at a particularly beautiful scene, replete with just the right song, camera angle, and dialogue. Mcconaughey’s raw emotion in the scene below is a perfect example of just that: the candidness in his emotions, the complete portrayal of fear masked as hate, enough that you struggle to feel empathy for the dying man, the chilling, but hopeful prophecy he delivers that “There ain’t nothing out there that can kill Ron Woodroof in thirty days.”

Mcconaughey’s performance was not the only stand out in the film. Jared Leto’s commendable performance as Rayon, a trans woman with HIV who assists Woodroof in his distribution of medication, drew me in initially to the film, especially after he received the Academy Award for Supporting Actor in 2014. The character received mixed reviews socially. While many praised Leto’s portrayal and acting “chops” in the role, others found themselves agitated by his casting, as opposed to a trans actor. I felt myself agreeing with the call for a more diverse casting, but Leto’s talent still shone through. Below is the scene that I feel earned Leto the Oscar.

I always find myself eager to seek out films based on unsung “heros”. I feel as though history is only capable of retaining a small portion of idolized “saints”- people who we forget are human at all. Dallas Buyers Club candidly portrays the truth of a man with a list of flaws, who refused to give no for an answer. The film’s success in this portrayal proves itself through its various accolades, the most famous perhaps being Mcconaughey earning his first Academy Award for Best Actor. He offers one of the most concise, beautiful acceptance speeches, clearly humbled and affected by his work. In fact- if I were to make another top ten lists of favorite acceptance speeches, this would be #1. It gives me the chills everytime- the message leaving an unintended, beautiful consequence of the production of the movie.

As the weeks go on, you will come to learn, dear reader, that these are the moments I live for; the moments in which a film transcends a media platform: a screen, a laptop, a small cracked phone nestled in the lap of an airline passenger. A good film, a real film  is not made for the blinding lights and the hoards of money. A beautiful film speaks in the quiet, and comes when you least expect you need it, in a way it probably never intended to.

Or, maybe, that was its exact purpose the whole time.

Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof in “Dallas Buyers Club”