“Nebraska”

Bruce Dern appears as Woody Grant in “Nebraska”. (photo courtesy of Paramount Vantage)

Midwesterners may appear to be a boring bunch, but if you look a little deeper, love and respect also reside. Director Alexander Payne (“Sideways” and “The Descendants”) proves for a second time that he’s oddly in tune with the aged soldier. But his previous contribution to this subgenre, “About Schmidt”, highlights regret, while “Nebraska” is something far more hopeful.

Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is determined to reach Nebraska to collect his million-dollar winnings — in something that’s clearly a mail-order scheme — even if he has to walk there. But that won’t work for the rest of his family. Sons David (Will Forte) and Ross (Bob Odenkirk), and wife Kate (June Squibb), continue to take care of him even though he’s an aloof alcoholic. Youngest son, Will, seems most like pop, thus he calls in sick to work and loads Woody into a car for a road trip that will probably not end in a pile of cash. But that’s hardly the point in the midst of such a charming slew of characters.

Meet yet another easy-in for the best actor category, Dern, as Woody. A veteran performer, more than 50 years in the game, Dern’s only other Oscar-nom occurred in “Coming Home” in 1979. It’s been a while, but I like his chances for the win. This is a performance of subtlety. Half the fun might be his unkempt hair, but that means little without his humorous execution or staggering demeanor.

If you’re a fan of director Payne’s often glacial pacing (“The Descendants” is his speedster to date), “Nebraska” hardly breaks form. But here the snail’s stride, and a black and white lens, complements Payne’s central point: the Midwest can be a boring, colorless place. Perhaps that’s a bit severe though. A simpler point would be: Woody’s family is incredibly dull, save his immediate family who provide the film’s only moral grounding. Kate yells most of her dialogue, but a character who begins as a typically loud old woman becomes a protector hell bent on guarding her troubled love from vulturous kin. But you’ll miss this if you don’t give the film a chance to unfold. It’s a beautiful story with a simple point, love your family and forget about regret.

“Dallas Buyers Club”

Jared Leto (left) appears as Rayon, and Matthew McConaughey stars as Ron Woodroof in Jean-Marc Vallée’s fact-based drama, “Dallas Buyers Club”, a Focus Features release. (photo courtesy of Focus Features)

Prepare for Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto’s career-best performances. And it only cost them a few dozen pounds. A 50-pound loss for McConaughey portraying an HIV-diagnosed drug addict, and 30-pounds for Leto, as an HIV-positive transgender woman.  While films like “Milk” focus on the fight against social marginalization, “Dallas Buyers Club” — based on a true story from a Dallas Daily News article by Bill Minutaglio — depicts the FDA’s disturbing practices during the 1980s.

“Dallas Buyers Club” introduces Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) high, enjoying a three-way in the middle of a rodeo. Few scenes better illuminate the hyper-masculinity of our un-wanting and very homophobic hero. He processes his HIV diagnosis with the rigor expected of a 1980s Dallas cowboy. With only 30 days to live and no medical options, according to Dr. Sevard (Denis O’Hare) and Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner), Ron employs his drug-using abilities to locate non-FDA-approved treatments. First he tries AZT, hot off the rat-shelves and just beginning human trials, but his lowered immune system leads to another hospital visit. Finally, Ron finds hope in alternative treatments from Mexico. Realizing he can make a killing stateside, he returns and forms the Dallas Buyers Club, one of many alternative treatment groups that formed in lieu of insufficient legal options in the U.S.

Similar to “Brokeback Mountain”, “Dallas Buyers Club” focuses less on broader AIDS culture and more on Ron’s transformation from homophobe to medical-rights advocate. Helping open his eyes is Rayon (Leto) –– an easy nominee for best supporting actor. What begins as a business relationship — Ron smuggles in the product, and Rayon pitches it to clientele — turns into a something like family. As Ron’s prejudice decreases, his concern for others, namely Rayon, increases. He cares for Rayon like an older brother, regulating what they both eat and discouraging Rayon’s continued drug abuse.

After a rather conventional beginning — hate graffiti is sprayed on his trailer and friends avoid even touching him — “Dallas Buyers Club” highlights a more narrative-driven event. Woodroof’s story is compelling and worth hearing, and McConaughey tells it in the best performance of his career.