Want to have your mind blown completely to shit? Watch "The Constant Gardener."

Yes, I know we all think we're jaded and that we "know" how bad corporate corruption is, but--I watched that film yesterday and am still totally wiped out. I can't believe this movie was written off as a "spy thriller."

I was getting around to it but I will sooner now. :hi:

I'll have to make the time to watch.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Because I feel that not enough intellligent, informed liberal folks have bothered to sit down and view this incredible movie. We think we "know" what's going to be in movies like this one, so we don't make the time for them. I haven't looked up the stats to see how well it did at the box office or how many people have watched it on DVD, but it can't have been that many or there would have been more coverage and discussion of it by now. I don't even think I know anyone else who's seen "The Constant Gardener."

hoping it wouldn't :(

This wasn't an obscure little unknown indie film:

2006:

Oscars
Won:
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Rachel Weisz
Nominated:
Best Achievement in Editing
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay

BAFTA
Won:
Best Editing


British Indepent Film Awards
Won:
Best Actor: Ralph Fiennes
Best Actress: Rachel Weisz
Best British Independent Film

Evening Standard British Film Awards
Won:
Best Actor: Ralph Fiennes
Best Film: Fernando Meirelles

Golden Globes
Won:
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Rachel Weisz
Nominated:
Best Director - Motion Picture: Fernando Meirelles
Best Motion Picture - Drama

London Critics Circle Film Awards
Won:
British Actor of the Year: Ralph Fiennes
British Actress of the Year: Rachel Weisz
British Film of the Year
British Producer of the Year: Simon Channing-Williams

OK, I'm tired of doing the copy/paste thing so go here for the rest of the nominations/awards: http://imdb.com/title/tt0387131/awards

As for who saw it:
US opening weekend: $10,961,311
US Gross: $33,565,375

I'm sure these number don't compare to Spiderman, but this film was seen and was critically acclaimed in 2005 when it was released. Most of the people I know have seen it.

It's a great movie and I'm glad you're trying to get it more exposure here as well but your assumptions about no one having seen it and no one talking about it's importance are off the mark by about a year and a half.

Yes, I know about the awards and I realize it wasn't "obscure," but I still find it a little odd that it wasn't, well, bigger.

And it won an Oscar.

It was hardly ignored.

Or, at least, it wasn't what I was expecting--at all. I was thinking, "spy thriller with a political edge; it'll take occasional shots at the imperialists, the corpratists and human greed/evil, but that'll be it." I was expecting melodrama, and a relatively cheap representation of the crises currently consuming African nations and their peoples. Not so much. It's a very well-done film that I think actually transcends the genre. The biggest surprise for me was the total and complete condemnation of geo-political elitism. The film doesn't pull any punches there, and has some really smart scenes in which the filmmakers went out of their way to expose the pervasive racism which allows so many to rationalize and justify the exploitive treatment of impoverished Africans. It's a good one, but it's going to leave you changed.

"to help the inhabitants of the slums near Nairobi where the crew had been filming."

The cast and crew were tremendously affected by their experiences there and the weight of the topic of the film.

I haven't watched the special features on the DVD or anything like that yet (still too depressed).

While the Cage film has little undercurrents of humor 'TCG' left me deflated.

Excellent recommendation.

And the ending made me want to throw it across the room.

It's even better.

the movie would make a great double feature with Syriana.

The Mission Song: I haven't gotten a chance to borrow it from the library where I work because it has circulated steadily since I ordered it.

blow your mind. LeCarre is a master.

Now going to make time to watch Fog of War.

The pathos displayed after (spoiler spoiler bla bla) left me in ruins. Astonishing acting from Fiennes. I have that DVD on my top-shelf-best-stuff row, and I doubt I'll ever watch it again.

I also liked "Lord of War"
About arms trading. :hi:

In 1997 Skynet went online, and it started learning at a geometric rate...

when I saw it awhile ago. A bit overwrought, but the acting was really fantastic. I love both Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weitz.

It was a sad movie,with a sad end.