In Paris in the 1990s, a group of activists get together to fight for those living with HIV and AIDS. Called Act Up, they protest and carry out aggressive action against different pharma companies and elsewhere that demonstrate and provoke lively debates. One of the group is terminally ill with AIDS.
The film moves from being a polemic on attitudes to those living and dying of the disease to focussing on a couple of people within the group. It's when the film moves in this latter direction that it becomes more interesting and at times is quite vividly shocking, never afraid from holding back on the drama or the nightmare of those suffering with the disease go through, as well as the struggles of those caring for others. The film's target audience is undeniably a homosexual one and may be alienating for those who are neither gay nor have an understanding of the disease - and it may be this audience who should watch it. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and strong piece of post-Godardian cinema.
The film moves from being a polemic on attitudes to those living and dying of the disease to focussing on a couple of people within the group. It's when the film moves in this latter direction that it becomes more interesting and at times is quite vividly shocking, never afraid from holding back on the drama or the nightmare of those suffering with the disease go through, as well as the struggles of those caring for others. The film's target audience is undeniably a homosexual one and may be alienating for those who are neither gay nor have an understanding of the disease - and it may be this audience who should watch it. Nevertheless, it is an interesting and strong piece of post-Godardian cinema.