Am I Missing Something?

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Film record of New York activists' momentous struggle to have AIDS drugs made available while they and those around them were dying from the virus. Incredible and important documentary footage. But also heartbreaking personal stories of the devastation caused by the disease. Ultimately uplifting so don't be put off by the subject. It is left till near the end to reveal who actually survived the plague as they sum up those terrible years till '96/'97 and the difference their activism made. Inspiring.

After having been very surprised and impressed with the AIDS documentary We Were Here, I thought I'd check out this one too. Unfortunately I found myself very disappointed.The documentary follows the political activism of ACT UP and TAG, and doesn't stray very far from that main track. The filmmakers took a clear political stance on the side of the activists, and much of the documentary smacks of "preaching to the choir." Serious issues are not always taken seriously, and public figures such as George Bush Sr. and Jesse Helms are openly mocked by both the people in the documentary and also the filmmakers themselves.My main disappointment involved the documentary's focus, which fixed unwaveringly upon the activists. To be fair, this might be a good thing if you happen to be interested in ACT UP and TAG. But some websites (e.g. wikipedia) misleadingly suggest that the documentary also discusses more generally the early period of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. In fact, rarely do the filmmakers show us anything beyond the activism itself. It does not delve into any serious scientific issues, nor does it help us understand the early development of attitudes and expectations people had regarding HIV and AIDS. Also note that it only covers the years from 1987 onward. So we don't get to see anything at all about the beginning of the epidemic in 1981-1986.Maybe others would appreciate this film, but I did not enjoy it at all. Even for those who are interested in the subject matter, it's hard to imagine this being a compelling documentary. But for those of us who aren't already interested in this particular thread in the history of AIDS, it falls even flatter. It's not as bad as some documentaries, but I certainly don't recommend it either. Sorry to be so negative, but that's just how I see it.

First of all, this review might not need a spoiler warning, being a documentary, and most people are pretty well up on the facts of the case. But since this is my 1st review, I thought I'd play it on the safe side (in that regard anyway.) The Film begins in 1987, the 6th year of the AIDS Crisis. It opens at the East Coast Ground Zero, New York City's Greenwich Village. It is the story of ACTUP, The AIDS Coalition To Uleash Power, a group of mostly young people determined to make the medical system responsive to people who are simply running out of time, who are dying, many in their early 20's. In addition to seeking treatments for this incurable (and in 1987, nearly 100% fatal) disease, they are through confrontational, non-violent tactics challenging the internalized Homophobia in the Medical System, Police Departmemnts, Our Governments, and more-much more. People today have a hard time believing that hospitals would turn away the dying, or that ambulances would refuse to transport patients with AIDS, but it is TRUE. Now that I've covered some of the story, I can tell you that this is one of the finest stories of human courage I have ever seen. The specter of young men and women falling victim in the prime of their lives, combined with the inaction and almost blasé attitudes of our own government is something to behold. The film at some places focuses on 4 or 5 main characters in the ACTUP group-as the story unfolds we watch some soldier on and some die. Myself, I came to love every one of them, and some knew at the start what they were doing was for future generations; they knew it was too late for them. Part of me still screams 25 years later; These people put their lives on the line, got involved with drug protocols early on, risked repeated arrest and police beatings (notice the latex gloves on the police).The style is mostly cinema verite; the editing is superb; and remember ACTUP did all this - without the internet, no cell phones, not even a fax machine. It is amazing what human beings can do when motivated. And in this case, it was either mobilize, inform, demand humanity, or just lay down and die. See This Film! It is essential viewing for an era that must NEVER be forgotten.

That seeming rarity: an incisive, heartfelt documentary about people doing good that is important, even today as AIDS is not the 'plague' it once was. It shows what people will do when they are pushed to a limit - it's not even about gay rights but about human rights, for proper health-care for the deathly ill. It's filmmaking that doesn't shy away from the rougher areas - when there is infighting in ACT UP, the director (first timer David France) shows it warts and all. But it's the heroism by the likes of Peter Staley and Mark Harrington that shines through the most. As Roger Ebert said, it's most emotional for the audience with a drama when seeing good people suffer, as do the people in ACT UP and in the AIDS crisis, and in doing good, against all odds. We get the sense that they were not just fighting for themselves, though that was certainly a big component, but fighting for the millions that needed the medicine that could at least be attempted. The saddest part is seeing the trial and error over the years, where people who did take the early drugs like ATX just didn't get better like they should've. It's a bittersweet conclusion since by the time the medicine did get to the point where AIDS was at least something people could try and not, you know, kill them, so many had already passed (the ticker per-year that comes up becomes more and more shocking, albeit a lot of these numbers were from Africa). As a document of the AIDS/HIV crisis and as a pure protest movie and 'Fight the Powers That Be!' saga, it's moving, harsh, and keeps its story moving with compelling people who faced up to the fact that their fight had to be about science even before it being a social issue. Oh, and the sort of 'reveal' you don't even expect in the last ten or so minutes... it shoots this up to being essential viewing.