Pharma cast as ‘bad guys’ in Hollywood blockbuster
pharmafile | September 30, 2005 | News story | Sales and Marketing |
A new Hollywood thriller featuring the pharmaceutical industry as the 'bad guys' is to hit UK screens next week.
The Constant Gardener has received rave reviews from critics and is currently in the Top Ten films in the US, where it was launched at the beginning of September.
The film's tagline runs: 'The Conspiracy is Global, The Corruption is Contagious' and is based on a John Le Carre novel of the same name, first published in 2000.
The plot revolves around a conspiracy between corrupt governments and the pharmaceutical company who are testing drugs on people in Kenya without their knowledge.
Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are the film's leads, with Fiennes' character determined to avenge Weisz's death and get to the bottom of the conspiracy, which takes him from London to Berlin and Nairobi.
Speaking to the BBC World Service about the role, Ralph Fiennes said the political elements of the story appealed to him. "Drug companies should be more transparent, we should know what they're doing, and how accessible are they making their drugs that will help people in third world countries.
"Those are basic things that I think probably seem common, moral sense. But I was drawn to the film because of the character of Justin, really."
The casting of the industry as Hollywood bad guys takes its demonisation to a new level, though some think the thriller shouldn't be taken too seriously.
ABPI spokesman Richard Ley said he was familiar with the films' plot, but was philosophical about the industry's portrayal. He says most cinemagoers will be able to distinguish the fiction from reality.
"There are two ways of looking at it – firstly as a film and a work of fiction – and that's how I think we should understand it," he said.
"By all accounts its a very well made and gripping film. But if we ask how far it reflects reality, then I think the answer is it doesn't."
The Constant Gardener opens in the UK on Friday 7 October.
Would you like to review The Constant Gardener for Pharmafocus?If you work for the UK-based pharmaceutical industry and want to be among a small panel of reviewers for Pharmafocus, contact us at: pharmafocus@wiley.co.uk
