Normal Heart was based on autobiographical drama of HIV / AIDS activist Larry Kramer. The film revolved around the increase and the crisis of the disease in New York during the period 1981 - 1984, through the eyes of writer Ned Weeks. Ned Weeks had a secret lover - who had to live and endure the ravages of AIDS daily.
Matt Bomer is heartbreaking as a New York Times style reporter looking for love in a loveless city. His physical transformation is astonishing and agonizing.
Although The Normal Heart is a work of fiction, the stories it tells about the emerging AIDS crisis in America are honest and heartbreakingly real, thanks to deeply affecting performances.
The collaboration between Murphy and Kramer seemed like a natural from the moment it was announced, and now we have the proof of that sensible decision -- in all its incendiary, heart-wrenching magnificence.
Time, and rewrites, have softened some of the play's stridency. More important, the romance between Weeks (Ruffalo) and his lover, Felix (Bomer), is given a more prominent role as is Felix's death spiral, giving the story power both broad and intimate.
Moving, well acted and important for a generation who may be unfamiliar with the source material. But the TV version, also written by Kramer, doesn't have the emotional heft of the play.
There is less reporting on poverty in America than on any other major societal issue. So it is with AIDS. That alone makes The Normal Heart an important film.
