THE CONSTANT GARDENER

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LONG LINES AT THE BOX OFFICE, IF YOU PLAN TO SEE THIS FILM.
NOTHING BLOWS UP - NO ONE ORDERS A PIZZA AND CHICKEN WINGS -- NO TEENAGERS ARE RACING THEIR CARS OR MOTORCYCLES - NO BREAK DANCING - NO SPACESHIPS - NO RAP MUSIC - NO COLLEGE GIRLS GONE WILD AT THE BEACH.
THIS IS AN INTELLIGENT PICTURE, CONCERNED WITH GREAT ISSUES.
ARE DRUG COMPANIES USING THIRD WORLD -- READ POOR AND DARK --
PEOPLE AS TEST ANIMALS FOR THEIR DRUG EXPERIMENTS.
THERE IS A CRUSADING IDEALISTIC WOMAN AND HER UNINVOLVED HUSBAND, WHO MOVE TO AFRICA AND SEE THE UNETHICAL CONDUCT OF THE LARGE DRUG FIRMS.
THEIR MUTUAL STRUGGLE, AT DIFFERENT TIMES, IS THE BASIS OF THE FILM.
THIS IS A LARGE AND GRAND FILM, BUT IT NEVER GETS BIGGER THAN THE PEOPLE IN THE STORY -- IT NEVER FORGETS THE INDIVIDUALS -- WHICH KEEPS US ROOTED TO THE TALE.
SOME FOLKS WILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE IDEA THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF AFRICA, THIS TALE IS ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE - AS BOTH VILLAINS AND HEROES - BUT THE USUAL ANSWER TO THAT IS -- WRTIE YOUR OWN STORY AND MAKE YOUR OWN HEROES.
JOHN LE CARRE WROTE THIS AND HE IS NOT A BLACK AUTHOR.
THIS FILM HAS MYSTERY, CONSPIRACY, ROMANCE, LOYALTY, TENSION, COMPASSION, DECEIT, CRUELTY AND MURDER. NOW, WHAT MORE YOU COULD ASK FOR, FOR SIX DOLLARS, ESCAPES ME.
I WAS ASKED IF I ENJOYED THIS FILM -- IT IS NOT REALLY A FILM YOU WILL ENJOY, IT IS A FILM YOU NEED TO SEE.
I WAS ASKED ABOUT MY VIEW OF THE DRUG COMPANIES ---
1. THIS FILM MADE THE PHARMACEUTICAL FIRMS GREATER VILLAINS THEN NECESSARY ---- FOR THE SAKE OF DRAMA
2. I THINK OVERSEAS DRUG TRIALS ARE A RED FLAG THAT SOMETHING
DANGEROUS/ UNETHICAL / ILLEGAL IS GOING ON
3. I THINK GREAT / WONDERFUL DRUGS COME FROM THESE EXPERIMENTS, DRUGS THAT SAVE LIVES AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF MILLIONS
4. I DON'T THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO ABUSE AND INJURE PEOPLE WHO ARE DEFENSELESS, TO ACHIEVE THE SUCCESS MENTIONED IN #3.
IF YOU LIKE AN INTELLIGENT FILM, A FILM WHERE THE MAKERS ACTUALLY RESPECT YOU AS A THEATRE GOER - THIS IS A FILM YOU SHOULD SEE.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF FILM THAT EVEN IF YOU SEE IT AND HATE IT, YOU WON'T SAY THAT TO PEOPLE -- YOU SORT OF KNOW, IF YOU DIDN'T APPRECIATE THIS FILM, THE PROBLEM IS MORE THAN LIKELY, YOU AND NOT THE PRODUCTION.
IT IS LIKE MEETING MOTHER TERESA - YOU CAN'T TELL FOLKS, "I COULDN'T STAND HER."

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WOODY ALLEN MADE A FILM CALLED -- MANHATTAN -- AND NOT ONE BLACK PERSON WAS IN THE FILM -- MAYBE IN A LONG SHOT OR DEEP DEEP IN THE BACKGROUND - BUT NOT ONE SPEAKS A WORD -- AND IF ONE DOES SPEAK A WORD, IT STILL MAKES MY CASE -- SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE.
AFTER WRITING THIS REACTION, I WENT TO THE ON LINE AD FOR THIS FILM AND IT HAD A GALLERY OF OVER 24 PHOTOS FROM THE FILM - SHOTS OF THE MAJOR CHARACTERS - THIS AFRICA BASED STORY DID NOT HAVE ONE BLACK PHOTO AMONG THE 24 - THAT IS SCARY -- THERE IS A HEROIC BLACK DOCTOR, WHO IS CENTRAL TO THE PLOT - NO PHOTO.
SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN 2005.