[lit-ideas] The Constant Gardener
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:00:18 -0700
As a result of subscribing to Netflix, I have watched a number of movies I
wouldn't ordinarily see. Some of them have surprised me by being quite
good. I just watched one I haven't quite made up my mind about yet: The
Constant Gardener. A ruthless drug company tests its new drugs on Kenyan
natives. I did an internet search just now to see if there was any basis
for truth in John Le Carre's concept and found there was a test by Pfizer in
1996 - a drug safe for adults was tested on children in Africa, but the
article didn't say whether it turned out to be safe for children. The
writer of the article thought that the movie should have more forcefully
opposed evil drug companies.
I'm not a fan of Ralph Fiennes and his character seemed far too passive
during his wife's (Rachel Weisz's character's) lifetime to pursue her
murderers so relentless toward the end of the movie. Presumably he gained
backbone because he felt guilty for suspecting his wife of infidelities, but
she wasn't one to care what people thought and did appear to be unfaithful;
so he (I would think) could be excused for suspecting she might be - he
should at least have found reasons for forgiving himself for having done so.
Does anyone else have an opinion about this movie?
Lawrence
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