Constant Gardening, The Producers & A 2nd Dozen

The Constant Gardener is a little complicated so if you’re not into that sort of movie stop reading right about here. The best ‘idea’ I can give you about the movie is that it’s like Syriana where it tackles a tough issue, the theme of that movie being oil and theme of this one being pharmaceutical companies. Both movies give you a sense that these massive greedy corporations are controlling the world and will go to any lengths to accomplish their billion dollar contracts.

However this movie revolves more around a love story, well, kind of. At the beginning of the movie Ralph Fiennes who is a British diplomat looses his activist wife played by Rachel Weisz, who is found brutally dead in Kenya. His character is more of the kind and soft hearted perhaps even naive type whereas hers is almost the opposite; the strong vocal female who is fighting for a cause. The movie starts off with the death and Fiennes’ character traces back the events up until mid-way through the movie where I guess it really takes off and the story goes from love, tragedy and suspicion, to conspiracies and chases as things begin to unravel.

I recommend this movie. I guess it will be heading to the Golden Globes and Oscars next year so it’s very worthy. I especially liked the directing and photography, it has some of the most realistic and beautiful images of Africa.

Bottom Line: 4/5

On the opposite end of the movie genre is Cheaper by the Dozen 2, which is probably the best family film since Cheaper by the Dozen 1. It is a great family comedy that is adult enough for adults and childlike enough for children. In this sequel Steve Martin tries to hold on to his family as his eldest daughter is married, having a child and moving away while his other daughter is going to live in New York. So in a last attempt to have a family summer he takes them to the lake where they used to go back in the day.

However Martin is confronted by his past in the form of Eugene Levy, a man whose rivalry with Martin knows no limits. Now successful with the most well behaved and abnormally talented kids he challenges Martin to the lake’s traditional family competition for a chance to beat him and keep his record.

The movie has a really nice story to it which is pretty surprising for a sequel. While it hasn’t been getting the greatest reviews I think the critics get a little grumpy around the holidays. Anyways, it’s bound to make a lot of people laugh.

Bottom Line: 4/5

Lastly, The Producers. Oh dear God. This movie is based on the Broadway musical by Mel Brooks about a crooked producer and an accountant wannabe-producer who team up after discovering they can make more money from a flop than they can from a hit. So they pick the worst screenplay they can find: “Spring Time for Hitler”, and get the worst actor (its writer) played by Will Farrell. And the gayest (literally) and worst director. They do everything possible to make the show come out terrible but something goes ‘right’ and the show becomes a hit and the producers find themselves in trouble.

The Producers must have been good on Broadway to become such a sensation in the past few years, because this movie was not so great. It is filled with Mel Brooksâ??s cheap laughs that were made for a Broadway audience but not a movie going one. That’s probably where they went wrong, treating the movie like the show.

The only thing that maybe tries to save the movie is the performance of Will Farrell as the Hitler loving German. I’m a fan of Farrell so yah maybe I’m bias but judging by the audience he was the only funny one. Nathan Lane does pretty well too but looks like he’s over acting at times. Mathew Broderick is just, not so great. Maybe it’s the fact that he still looks exactly as Ferris Bueller! Also the movie was just too long for a musical. (I may have fallen asleep which is very rare)

So I don’t recommend this film. As far as musicals save your money and rent Chicago, even the singing is better.

Bottom Line: 1/5 (for will)