A Nutshell Review: The Constant Gardener
Finally! After such a long wait, this movie has finally made it to
our shores (I have been lamenting the same fate of other acclaimed
movies recently). Directed by Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles
(who did City of God), The Constant Gardener finds itself
sandwiched between two others movies released here in the same
period, sharing with North Country an aspect about whistle-blowing,
and with Syrianna on the corruption of conglomerates.
While Syrianna takes on oil corporations, Gardener tells a tale of
clandestine governments, and the morality issues faced by
pharmaceutical companies. Adapted from the novel by John le Carré,
Gardener explores and suggests what-if scenarios (I say "what-if"
as I humbly ask if what was suggested by the film could have been
inspired by some form of real happenings), of having human guinea
pigs in the testing of new medicine. In contention here is a new
drug for the treatment of tuberculosis, though HIV was also briefly
sharing the spotlight in the plight of the African nations. The
stark question posed, which makes you wonder, is whether it is
right to have dying Africans, or those who are already terminally
ill, test new medicine, and presenting to them Hobson's
choice.
Read more at
http://anutshellreview.blogspot.com/2006/02/constant-gardener.html