September 4th, 2005
 

"The Constant Gardener" is a must-see film for multi-layered reasons. It is a great cinematic accomplishment combining a truly compelling story, gripping, memorable performances and exotic locations (Kenya & Sudan). It is also a film with a conscience, angry about the abuse of the poor, specifically in Africa" through a conspiracy of governments and mega-corporations, in this case pharmaceutical companies. Disturbingly, John Le Carre author of the book on which the movie is based, says "Nobody in this story, and no outfit or corporation, thank God, is based upon an actual person or outfit in the real world. But I can tell you this; as my journey ... progressed, I came to realize that, by comparison with reality, my story was as tame as a holiday postcard."

Finally, "The Constant Gardener" is a movie with probing applicability for viewers in the wealthiest country in the world, who have access to information about the plight of Africa (and many other moral crisis), and yet who for the most part center our lives around what seems trivial by comparison to the way diplomat (Ralph Fiennes,) and his idealistic activist wife (Rachel Weisz) invest theirs. It ought to embarass us that a substantial film like "The Constant Gardener" will be posted in the list of top box-office films with aesthetically and spiritually bankrupt movies like "The 40-year-old Virgin," "Dukes of Hazzard" and "The Wedding Crashers."

Sunday I was reminded (Gospel of Mark Chapter 10) of how Jesus followers reacted to him, "and they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid."

"Amazed" and "afraid" aren't the two words describing most American Christian's perceptions of Jesus impact on their life, yet it is hard to imagine Jesus staying silent and uninvolved in a world so full of pain and injustice--I suspect what he asks us to do, if we truly heard it, would amaze and frighten us.

So, 1) Read some the comments below. 2) Go see the movie. 3) Allow it to tamper with your sense of calling and responsibility, if not for this specific set of issues, for the ones you are aware of and could personally get involved with now.

And then. Let me know how this movie affects you.

"REVIEWS."
Roger Ebert: "The Constant Gardener" may be the angriest story Le Carre has ever told. Certainly his elegant prose and the oblique shorthand of the dialogue shows the writer forcing himself to turn fury into style. His novel involves drug companies who test their products on the poor of the Third World and are willing to accept the deaths that may occur because, after all, those people don't count. Why not? Because no one is there to count them. Do drug companies really do this? The recent verdict against the makers of Vioxx indicates that a jury thought Merck sold a drug it knew was dangerous. Facts are the bones beneath the skin of a Le Carre novel. Either he knows what he's talking about, or he is uncommonly persuasive in seeming to. "The Constant Gardener" plays at times like a movie that will result in indictments. What makes the film extraordinary is that it also plays as a love story, and as an examination of the mysteries of the heart…The Constant Gardener" begins with a strong, angry story, and peoples it with actors who let it happen to them, instead of rushing ahead to check off the surprises. It seems solidly grounded in its Kenyan locations; like "City of God," it feels organically rooted. Like many Le Carre stories, it begins with grief and proceeds with sadness toward horror. Its closing scenes are as cynical about international politics and commerce as I can imagine. I would like to believe they are an exaggeration, but I fear they are not. This is one of the year's best films.

USA Today: The Constant Gardener (* * * * out of four) is a masterwork of suspense, romance and political intrigue. It is a taut and gripping thriller that dazzles the eyes and engages the brain in a way that few recent films have come close to approaching. Told in a non-linear style that requires close attention, the film is vastly rewarding to viewers who seek a smart and complex love story. That it offers passion, betrayal, gorgeous cinematography, social commentary, stellar performances and clever wit puts it in a special category near perfection.

Yours for the pursuit of God in the company of friends, Dick Staub.

PS. And remember, “these are the best of times and the worst of times, but they are the only times we have.” (For Now).

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