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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week.

The Normal Heart
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Matt Boomer, Jim Parsons, Taylor Kitsch, and Julia Roberts
About: HBO has been so strong at developing pay cable TV shows that it's easy to forget they make movies, too. A few times a year HBO releases an original film, and they're usually quality productions. The latest HBO original film was an adaptation of the Larry Kramer play, "The Normal Heart," which debuted on Sunday, May 25 and is continuing to cycle through the network. The play is based in the early 1980s, and is based on Kramer's real life experiences as a gay man at the outset of the AIDS crisis. HBO has frequently tackled films that looked at the AIDS crisis. I remember, as a teen, being fascinated by the movie "And The Band Played On," which followed the doctors that were first trying to understand what was happening. A few years ago HBO won a lot of awards with the adaptation of the play "Angels in America," which looked at a different facet of the struggle. "The Normal Heart" was first produced in 1985, and there is a lot of anguish and anger in the story. It was raw for Kramer as he wrote it, and that comes through in the production even 30 years later. But those expecting a story that chronicled the medical or historical challenges will be disappointed. This is a personal story meant to capture the emotion, the struggle, and the stories of the men who lived — and often died — during the early years of the struggle. Much like "Dallas Buyers Club," a period piece during the same era that won a lot of awards last year, this is about early victims of the crisis that struggle against the stigma of their disease, and the lack of understanding about what is causing it. Some have wondered why make this movie now? A lot has changed since the early 1980s in our understanding of AIDS, how it is transmitted, who can get it, and how it is treated. But a piece like this serves a historical purpose. It gives a new generation an understanding of the time. It's also an emotional and personal story — not just for Kramer but for those who poured their time and effort into making it. Director Ryan Murphy — best known for his work on shows like "Glee" and "American Horror Story" — said he read the play as a college student and has long wished to adapt it to a film. You can see the passion in front of and behind the camera played out in the production. The actors do a great job bringing the story to life, too. But this isn't an easy film to watch. There will be many who are turned off by the subject matter and frank portrayals, but this is the kind of project that is served best by the creative freedom of HBO.
Rating: TV-MA for for sexual content, nudity, language and some disturbing images. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, June 6 — "The Fault in Our Stars," Edge of Tomorrow"
Friday, June 13 — "22 Jump Street," "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
Friday, June 20 — "Think Like A Man Too," "Jersey Boys," "The Rover"
Friday, June 27 — "Transformers: Age of Extinction," "Snow Piercer"