A Not So Mendacious Comment

I wandered over to the Fairhope Lady's blog and read her praise for the movie, "The Constant Gardner." I liked the movie, too, but (as they say) the book was better.

There was, however, in the movie, a brief scene which, so far as I can recall, was not in the book, and the worse for its absence. While his wife and her confederate were mumbling on the porch, Quayle, the constant and expert gardner, was in the yard instructing his "yard boy" on the mixing and use of poisons to control unwanted growths in the garden. The parallel between the drug companies' poisoning of hapless Africans so that the valued races could flourish, was just too neatly arranged for me to accept that the writers did not mean the scene to have exactly that intent.

On the other hand, the film deleted Quayle's adventures in Canada and Elba, no doubt for budgetary reasons. That sacrifice detracted a bit from author Le Carre's grand design, to demonstrate that the pharmaceutical industry's conspiracy is of worldwide proportions, and their eyes and ears everywhere.

Nevertheless, as the lady says, it's a good film, worth the price. Rachael Weisz steals the show and rightfully deserves the Oscar nomination she obtained for her performance.