10s Movie Review - The Normal Heart

Director: Ryan Murphy
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Joe Mantello, Taylor Kitsch, Julia Roberts, Jonathan Groff, B.D. Wong

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 27: A MOVIE ABOUT A HISTORICAL FIGURE

Description: A gay activist (Mark Ruffalo) attempts to raise H.I.V. and A.I.D.S. awareness during the early 1980s

Review: Nowadays, with the right medications, you can live a respectable age when being diagnosed with HIV or AIDS. But back in the 1980s, when the disease first manifested itself, that was a different story. At that time AIDS was called ‘gay cancer’ and more and more people saw the mysterious virus invade their lives. The truth behind the origin of this disease remained unknown for a long time, especially since it took some time for AIDS and HIV to be recognized. Someone who played a major role in putting both diseases on the map is the American writer and activist Larry Kramer, who this story is based on, only now with fictional characters.  

In “The Normal Heart” it’s Ned Weeks, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo, a political activist and writer. We meet him in the summer of ’81, joining a party in Long Island. He reads articles about a mysterious cancer, that exclusively affects homosexuals. He sees the seriousness of this disease and decides to consult doctor Emma Brookner. She researches the disease and discovers that there is more to it. She asks Ned to warn the gay community about the disease.

As the disease gets closer and closer to his own group of friends, Ned takes actions. Not much help comes. The city of New York and the Reagan administration refuse to recognize the disease. He seeks supports of his brother Ben, a lawyer. But even with the strong bond they have, Ben finds it hard to understand Ned’s orientation. Reporter Felix Turner, whom he later gets in a relationship with, is willing to help.

“The Normal Heart” is a project that director Ryan Murphy put his entire heart and soul in. And it’s visible. Not only because of him, also thanks to Mark Ruffalo, who is really impressive as Ned Weeks. He is supported by a strong cast, where Jim Parsons and Joe Mantello really stand out. Murphy doesn’t shy away from portraying the horrors that AIDS brings. But the main strength lies in the screenplay.

Rating: 4/ 5