An HBO Executive: Okay here's our next great movie. We're gonna take The Hulk, but we'll make him a writer instead of a scientist. He's gonna be gay and dating that hot guy from White Collar. He's going to be just as angry and loud as The Hulk, but he never actually turns into him or smashes anything. And it's gonna be sad. It'll be great!
In All Seriousness:
Directed by: Ryan Murphy
Written by: Larry Kramer
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts, Joe Mantello, Alfred Molina
Written by: Larry Kramer
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts, Joe Mantello, Alfred Molina
Ryan Murphy, who is known for creating the extremely successful and not at all similar shows Glee and American Horror Story, returns with another television creation in the form of a TV movie for HBO. The Normal Heart is adapted by Larry Kramer, from the play also written by Larry Kramer. Two of the film's stars (Matt Bomer and Jim Parsons) have recently come out as gay. This is an important story about homosexuality and AIDS awareness, told by important members of the gay community.
Now I'm not going to use this review to talk about any sort of politics, or try to persuade people to lean towards either direction of any sort of political issues. I am going to be approaching this film strictly as a form of entertainment. So if you were hoping for some kind of political rant, *Tyrion Lannister voice* "You've come to the wrong place." Since I doubt most of you were hoping for that, enjoy the review.
The Normal Heart is a based-on-a-true-story tale of a group of gay men who attempt to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s. Mark Ruffalo leads the cast as the initiator of this movement, and he does some of the best work here that I've seen from him. Which says a lot, because I have been a big Ruffalo fan for a few years now. Matt Bomer is great as well, and nearly unrecognizable at parts having lost 40 pounds for the role. It's good to see the sometimes on and sometimes off Taylor Kitsch in a good role that allows him to show off his acting chops. Film veteran Julia Roberts and stage veteran Joe Mantello each get moments to shine in a film that gives it's entire cast plenty of on-screen time. Jim Parsons does well in the first non-comedic work film or show that I've seen him in, and Alfred Molina is great and welcome on my TV screen as always. Expect a good amount of nominations from this group at the the various awards shows this year, and maybe a couple of wins too.
You can feel the sense of how important this story is to Larry Kramer, especially knowing that Mark Ruffalo's character is based on himself. The themes he is going for here are loud and clear, but at times they are a little too loud and a little too clear. He probably could have benefitted from being a little more subtle. This way the film would have felt less down-your-throat with it's message, although that might have been what him and Ryan Murphy were going for.
The film has a lot to say, and it doesn't say it in a short amount of time. The 2-hour-and-ten minute long movie drags on at times. Some of the many long monologues go on a little too long. Overall, The Normal Heart is very similar but inferior to the 2008 film Milk, which I am a big fan of. I did enjoy it enough to be glad that I watched it, but I'm not sure I'll be dying to watch it again anytime soon. I do, however, hope that a lot of people give it a chance.
Now I'm not going to use this review to talk about any sort of politics, or try to persuade people to lean towards either direction of any sort of political issues. I am going to be approaching this film strictly as a form of entertainment. So if you were hoping for some kind of political rant, *Tyrion Lannister voice* "You've come to the wrong place." Since I doubt most of you were hoping for that, enjoy the review.
The Normal Heart is a based-on-a-true-story tale of a group of gay men who attempt to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s. Mark Ruffalo leads the cast as the initiator of this movement, and he does some of the best work here that I've seen from him. Which says a lot, because I have been a big Ruffalo fan for a few years now. Matt Bomer is great as well, and nearly unrecognizable at parts having lost 40 pounds for the role. It's good to see the sometimes on and sometimes off Taylor Kitsch in a good role that allows him to show off his acting chops. Film veteran Julia Roberts and stage veteran Joe Mantello each get moments to shine in a film that gives it's entire cast plenty of on-screen time. Jim Parsons does well in the first non-comedic work film or show that I've seen him in, and Alfred Molina is great and welcome on my TV screen as always. Expect a good amount of nominations from this group at the the various awards shows this year, and maybe a couple of wins too.
You can feel the sense of how important this story is to Larry Kramer, especially knowing that Mark Ruffalo's character is based on himself. The themes he is going for here are loud and clear, but at times they are a little too loud and a little too clear. He probably could have benefitted from being a little more subtle. This way the film would have felt less down-your-throat with it's message, although that might have been what him and Ryan Murphy were going for.
The film has a lot to say, and it doesn't say it in a short amount of time. The 2-hour-and-ten minute long movie drags on at times. Some of the many long monologues go on a little too long. Overall, The Normal Heart is very similar but inferior to the 2008 film Milk, which I am a big fan of. I did enjoy it enough to be glad that I watched it, but I'm not sure I'll be dying to watch it again anytime soon. I do, however, hope that a lot of people give it a chance.
Rating: 7/10
~Ryan Moncrief
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