The Constant Gardener - La cospirazione

I walked away from The Constant Gardener wondering how drug companies actually bench test their drugs. (The current Vioxx settlement certainly inspired cynicism) This is a thriller for the thinking crowd – with sufficient chase scenes and action sequences to justify the genre. It's paced slower then the average Grisham or Ludlum (Jason Bourne) movies I've come to love. But if you're interested in the stark realities of how medicines are tested in third world nations without having to endure negative consequences, this is a film you will want to see. It purports to reveal real-world events from Africa.

Pharmaceutical company corporate greed and compromised government ethics set the mood as Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz (on separate courses) do what they can to reveal the corruption spinning all around them. Fiennes is a British diplomat who understands what it takes to succeed in a compromising diplomatic position. Weisz refuses to give in. She's on a mission to reveal the truth - taking the political activist route - from the moment they meet. Fiennes is a love interest to the luscious Weisz, someone who offers an opportunity to cut the red tape and speed the truth about the mischief to which the drug company(s) are up to in Africa.

It's a brilliant movie showcasing how third world countries are (or can be) exploited. It deals with how a major pharmaceutical firm conducts harmful tests on ignorant, unsuspecting Kenyans. We see the other side of Africa – the side unseen in the enticing Kenyan safari tourist posters.

This is a thriller that thrills both the mind as well as the spirit. It left me wondering, "how close to the truth did they actually come?"

Really good and interesting. Had a good plot in it, but I wish Rachel had more screen time in the movie :( she was very beautiful and I liked her character a-lot!

Great romantic thrill ride that is made even more special by the performances of Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, who both give this adaptation of the John Le Carre book a real sense of beauty, dignity and grace with their on target performances. Weisz is perfection as Tessa Qualye, a civil rights activist who is murdered for trying to bring awareness of their illegal practices on the poor natives of an African village. Weisz gives her character a self-righteous drive that is made poignant by her determination and sheer will and she also makes her character human, not a stereotype, which makes her performance the more real. Ralph Finnes plays her grieving husband Justin, who takes up her cause and begins to lean of how wonderful his wife really was and what he missed during the time she was alive. His haunted performance is in my opinion his best ever and is the driving point of this haunting odyssey of justice, lost and self sacrifice. Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes both deserve Oscar nominations for their superb performances and Fernando Meirelles deserves one as well for his superb direction that puts you smack in the middle of the story that is unfolding right in front of you.

Hands down, the best film of the year so far.

There are some flaws in the story, however that is not my main concern with this film. While some people might enjoy the type of cinematography this film had, for me I felt like it ruined the entire film. This type of random cinematography cheapened the film in my opinion, and I also did not like the color palette they put it with either. As stories about corruption are very important I think that this was such a shame, because the film simply lost me because of this and I felt disconnected the message it wanted me to come across. However I do like the theme of the film, and I certainly think more films should be made about corruption and the less fortunate, just not in this way.

I thought the movie was great and worthy of the praise it has been getting from audiences and critics alike. Ralph Fiennes gives the performance of his career as a grieving man looking for answers and is slowing discovering the corruption all around him and Rachel Weisz steals the film whole heartily with a really deserving Oscar worthy performance as a human rights activist who will stop at nothing to get at the truth. The story is pretty scary and the cinematography is fantastic. Yes, the shaky camera can get in the way but it's not distracting enough to ruin the film.

If you want to see a movie that will make you think, this is it.