This is an interesting but sometimes irritating and depressing film that raises some good issues. It functions on several levels:
-It's a lament for Africa and all its problems, especially with diseases.
-It's a passionate indictment of corporate greed and government malfeasance.
-It's not really a thriller but it is based on a John LaCarre novel and there are car chases and a raid by Sudanese bandits as well as corporate and government intrigue -Mostly it's a love story. Ralph Fiennes plays a career-minded British diplomat who seems more concerned with his garden than people. Rachel Weisz is his activist wife who finds out that pharmaceutical companies are testing dangerous drugs on African patients in exchange for what should be basic health care. She gets killed and he tries to find out why and finds out all the things she had learned, then becomes the target of the same assassins. In doing so, he comes to understand her and love her more than he ever did when she was alive.
This later is the best part of the sometimes powerful film. The worst part is the camera work, which features constant use of hand held cameras which bob up and down all the time. Bring your Dramamine. Also, it's not exactly escapist fare. Instead it shoves your face right into the world's problems. If you liked "Wedding Crashers", you'll hate this. But you won't forget it anytime soon.
-It's a lament for Africa and all its problems, especially with diseases.
-It's a passionate indictment of corporate greed and government malfeasance.
-It's not really a thriller but it is based on a John LaCarre novel and there are car chases and a raid by Sudanese bandits as well as corporate and government intrigue -Mostly it's a love story. Ralph Fiennes plays a career-minded British diplomat who seems more concerned with his garden than people. Rachel Weisz is his activist wife who finds out that pharmaceutical companies are testing dangerous drugs on African patients in exchange for what should be basic health care. She gets killed and he tries to find out why and finds out all the things she had learned, then becomes the target of the same assassins. In doing so, he comes to understand her and love her more than he ever did when she was alive.
This later is the best part of the sometimes powerful film. The worst part is the camera work, which features constant use of hand held cameras which bob up and down all the time. Bring your Dramamine. Also, it's not exactly escapist fare. Instead it shoves your face right into the world's problems. If you liked "Wedding Crashers", you'll hate this. But you won't forget it anytime soon.