 |  | Beautiful Film on "Corporate Murder" |  |
This is one of Rachel Weisz's best performances. The film although drags here and there, it does tell the story of how pharmaceutical companies ruthlessly do business in Africa. "This is how Africa gets f*cked", spoken by a character towards the end, sums it all up.
With gorgeous colors, and the beautiful landscape of Kenya, the story jumps back and forth and really does a good job of showing the love between Ralph Fiennes and Weisz.
Not for action fans, but for anyone who likes to think about the film they're watching and enjoying a decent tale of corporate deeds done ruthlessly.
September 15, 2008 | | A Very Good Movie About a Greater Story | |
This is a very good movie depicting a great story. The only flaw in what would have been an otherwise great movie is its overuse of the flashback technique to the point of being somewhat confusing and disjointed. But, that is a very minor flaw easily overshadowed by great drama, romance, mystery, suspense, and tragedy. The storyline remains intact and continues to convincingly fall into place as the movie progresses. Big Pharma's use of the desperately poor of Africa as expendable medical guinea pigs, whose poverty and living conditions are stunningly and accurately portrayed in the movie, serves as a backdrop to the mystery that gradually unfolds before the viewer. A real tearjerker that is ultimately about what constitutes a genuinely good person.
September 9, 2008Impossible to rate, because whether you consider this genius or stupidity depends very much on you--it's one of those films. There is little action--and what little action there is, a raid on an African village late in the movie, seems completely contrived. Instead, we come in late to the action scenes in almost every case--or in the final one, early. But almost nothing is shown directly, only the consequences. Much of the film is told in flashbacks or jumpcuts, making the story somewhat difficult to piece together; and the one scene in which most of the dubious characters are introduced happens quite quickly. I have to confess to quite a lot of confusion about who was who and what was happening--most of it cleared up, but frankly the ending didn't seem terribly satisfactory to me. My whole family was left saying, "hunh" and my 24 year old son further opined that it was much ado about nothing. The 'hero's' revenge was pretty understated, too--a public shaming doesn't really seem enough to pay for your wife's murderer, does it? It's certainly not an American action flick; exactly the opposite. But if you enjoy British reserve, this might be the film for you. As others have said, the acting, cinematography, and music were excellent--it's the plot and it's telling that left me cold.
June 25, 2008A THRILLER INVOLVING MURDER. THE WIFE IS BRUTALLY MURDERED AFTER INVESTIGATING THE DOINGS OF A DIRTY PHARACEUTICAL COMPANY. HER HUSBAND PICKS UP THE INVESTIGATION OF THE DIRTY DRUG COMPANY AFTER HER DEATH TO FIND OUT WHY SHE DIED. JM
June 1, 2008I don't think "The Constant Gardener" is what one would call a conventional thriller. The culprits are pretty transparent early on but what I think concerns the makers of the film is not whodunit but rather how to shed light on their malfeasence. In the meantime the film offers a lot of food for thought about how the Third World is exploited by the major pharmaceutical companies and their corporate and government accomplices. I think the film also concerns itself with passive diplomat Justin Quayle(Ralph Fiennes) bringing closure to the horrific murder of his activist wife, Tessa(Rachel Weisz). Fiennes is nothing short of brilliant in an understated performance that suggests the anger and frustration that lurks within. Weisz deservedly won an Oscar in an impassioned and effervescent turn so much so that Justin's loss is the audience's loss as well. A truly great film not to be missed.
May 9, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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