Films/DVD Asylum

"The Constant Gardener"

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rico

(A)

I saw this yesterday and thought it was very well done although a bit longish. The harsh color cinematography is annoying at times but does add to the overall atmosphere. This one treats the audience as if it were intelligent, a good thing. Recommended.

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Post MTV editing - Jim Campilongo 07:18:09 09/19/05 (12)
"Constant Gardener" had the usual post MTV fast editing and effected grainy photography that obscured good performances for stimuli. Although the acting was excellent I felt like I saw a movie that never really happened. It was kind of a disappointment for me gang.
I went home and watched "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf" to see timing , chemistry and ensemble performance which was something I sorely missed in "Gardener".
- No Post MTV editing - but plenty of hand held camera work. - Harmonia 18:07:24 09/19/05 (1)
  Erm...who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? What has that B&W, acrid, 4 character, stagey adaptation of a brilliant play got to do with this very different film?
  In case you didn't notice, CG was a love story.
  I'm OK if you got tired the hand held camera stuff...but there was very little quick cutting., a la MTV or anything else. That cinema verite style has been around much longer than MTV. I don't think the director's stylistic choices interefered with either the acting or the film...at least not detrimentally so.
  I offer this review in support as a counter:
  - Let me try that link again... - Harmonia 18:11:28 09/19/05 (0)
    Storm is doing weird things to my puter.
    The review I referenced above:
    - http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2005/08/31/constant_gardener/index.html?sid=1383609 (Open in New Window)
- I did not notice an abundance of MTV style edits...... - PdL 12:40:33 09/19/05 (1)
  And I thought the use of color was as expected, given the director's previous movie City of God. Solid acting, solid plot and a bit of mystery - what more could you want from a Hollywood movie in 2005?
  Certainly CG is not the greatest film I've ever seen, but perhaps the best I've seen in 2005.
  - Re: I did not notice an abundance of MTV style edits...... - Jim Campilongo 12:45:51 09/19/05 (0)
    No , it wasn't horrible by any means. I just thought the exceptional performances were undermined by the director artistic vision.
- Exactly what I was afraid of: Headachy editing. All the negative reviews... - clarkjohnsen 08:14:38 09/19/05 (7)
  ...(I posted two) dwelt on that aspect -- much to the displeasure of those who enjoy MTV.
  clark
  - Re: Exactly what I was afraid of: Headachy editing. All the negative reviews... - RGA 08:51:41 09/20/05 (0)
    Odd the vast majority liked the film. The editing was not obtrusive. I'm the guy who hated NYPD Blue becaus eof the jerky camera work -- Gardener was acceptable. Though I will say that the camera work and editing didn't help the movie in my view and while it didn;t taake aything away -- it was unnecessary. Nevertheless, Citizen kane gets a lot of credit for cinematography that to me smacks of self indulgence "look this is my camera work" film making that was a distraction as well. And people call it the greatest film of all time. At least, unlike Kane, Gardener has heart.
  - Truly- CG didn't have *that* many quick cuts..but it did have... - Harmonia 17:46:15 09/19/05 (0)
    ...a lot hand held and closely framed shots.
    Which style could be called...intimate, verite, brninging the audience in closer to the realism of the action...or...herky jerky.
    It's how Meirelles chose to tell the story. It did not annoy or distract me. It did aid in conveying the protagonists state of mind.
    It was OK with me. Not nearly as annoying or off putting as the pumped up MTS style of say...Elizabeth. (No, I don't like MTV and I haven't seen anything on it in years.)
    CG is a good movie IMO.
  - I don't like that kind of cutting (Man On Fire being a good example) but it took me 5 minutes to get past - sjb 10:55:38 09/19/05 (2)
    the level of it in CG.
    Unlike the poster above I thought the shooting and editing style in this film (especially once they're in Africa) brought me closer to what it might have felt like to be there and, therefore, closer to the story.
    
    "Where are we going? And what am I doing in this hand basket?"
    - Speaking of CG -- was there much CG in it?... nt - clarkjohnsen 13:46:33 09/19/05 (1)
      s
      - Yeah, but the irony is... - Harmonia 18:09:18 09/19/05 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Speaking of CG -- was there much CG in it?... nt posted by clarkjohnsen on September 19, 2005 at 13:46:33:
        
        ...the true gardener isn't who you see gardening.
  - Re: Exactly what I was afraid of: Headachy editing. All the negative reviews... - rico 09:55:35 09/19/05 (1)
    Funny, I usually hate jerky cut cut cut editing and stopped watching NYPD Blue and Homicide because of it but for this film I really didn't mind.
    - That's because it isn't THAT "herky-jerky"---nowhere near as much-- - tinear 10:16:31 09/19/05 (0)
      as "City of God." In that film, the druggy culture and violence---live fast, die young--- fit the style well.
      Meirelles managed to make a film with "soul" that didn't patronize the audience with sermonizing.
"...well done although a bit longish." - Yes, the story bears fruit, but it needed pruning. (nt) - Audiophilander 09:13:21 09/18/05 (1)
;^)
- Ah, you're - tinear 14:52:13 09/18/05 (0)
  full of fertilizer! ;-)
  You're a man of infintely good taste: if you enjoyed this film, check out my link below to Brasilian films and get thee to Netflix. You won't be disappointed.
  Start at Pixote.

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