Not even bad in a good way

good film but with many flaws

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This is simply one of the best movies I've ever seen about the AIDS crisis. Moving, tough and beautiful all at the same time... 100% recommended.

This movie is criminally underrated. The Normal Heart should not be ignored and is a standout among TV-movies. Featuring a top-tier cast and great writing, this artfully created film follows the story of Ned Weeks, a man at the forefront of AIDS activism in New York, focusing on the struggle to be taken seriously following the sexual revolution.The cast of The Normal Heart are extremely capable and fill out their roles perfectly; the characters come alive on screen and portray their 3-dimensional, flawed nature as well as the challenges of "gay politics". Development of these elements keeps the story progressing at a heart-wrenching pace as illness spreads through an entire generation of gay men in New York.

I really enjoyed this movie, it as good story line, lots of historical facts, great performances and a good rhythm. It tells you the story of the gay community in New York city, in the beginning of the 80's, when AIDS started to appear and nobody know how the transmission of the virus was possible, how to prevent and at the same time deal with the terrible anti-gay atmosphere in every street and place of the city. Mark Rufalo makes a wonderful job, great performance, the audience can actually feel the anger, the anxiety and despair of a man fighting for his partner who caught AIDS. I think its one of those films everyone should watch, besides every creed or religion, to remind us all that prejudice and ignorance are the main keys for a detached and sick society.8/10

I found Ryan Murphy's production rather difficult to watch. The action unfolds in a series of circular movements, with the newly- formed GMHC (Gay Men's Health Clinic) trying to obtain funds from central or local government to combat the rapidly-spreading AIDS crisis, yet being continually frustrated in their efforts. Spearheaded by activist Ned Weeks (Mark Ruffalo), the group try every possible means to advance their cause, including television appearances, leaflet distribution, and installing a telephone hot-line. As they continue their work, so many of their closest friends become infected with the disease and pass away. Sometimes the pain of loss is quite unbearable: when Ned loses his boyfriend Felix Turner (Matt Bomer) in a hospital ward, he embraces Felix in a passionate embrace, while committed doctor Dr. Emma Brookner (Julia Roberts) affirms their wedding vows. In the background, we see Ned's lawyer brother Ben (Alfred Molina) vainly trying not to burst into tears.The activists' campaign to obtain recognition becomes increasingly fractious as the film unfolds: many of the members resent Ned's increasingly strident public persona, and eventually they decide to cast him out. Such a decision is not universally acknowledged: Tommy Boatwright (Jim Parsons) tearfully embraces Ned in a gesture of enduring friendship.What THE NORMAL HEART shows is the way in which the public campaign affects all the activists' live: it sows divisions among them where none existed before; it causes resentment as well as disillusion; and nothing ever seems to get done. In one telling scene Ned meets a White House staffer, whose sole aim seems to be to find out whether AIDS affects the heterosexual as well as the homosexual community. If not, then the staffer can feel relieved that his extra-marital affair with a whore will not be brought into public view.The tone of Murphy's production becomes more intense as the action unfolds. There are at least two dramatic set-pieces, where first Ned and then his colleague Mickey Marcus (Joe Mantello) allow their emotions to get the better of them and start ranting against the government, their friends, and their basic helplessness in trying to continue their campaign. Their friends can do little else but try to console them. Both sequences might seem slightly hysterical in tone, but we have to bear in mind the emotional and physical strain experienced by all the protagonists. This is the only way they have to let off steam.THE NORMAL HEART is an angry movie; based on a Broadway hit first performed over thirty years ago, it suggest that comparatively little has been done to combat the AIDS virus since it was brought to public attention. A series of sonorous title-cards at the end remind us of just how many victims there have been worldwide of the disease. Perhaps we need to have more dedicated doctors like Emma Brookner to continue research into the disease - if governments will permit them to do so. In a world dedicated to capitalism and money- making, this seems increasingly unlikely.