I have a couple of cynical kin who sometimes go to the video rental store and select a movie solely because there are only one or two copies on the shelf. Their reasoning: wildly popular movies usually reflect the crass, Hollywood-dictated tastes of the ignorant masses, while a single- or double-copy film has had enough of a following to be recognized as worthwhile, but not enough to be awful. (Hey, don't blame me--I'm just quoting my nutty relatives.) But you know what? More often than not they bring home a charmer.
"Greenfingers" is such a one. British convicts in an experimental prison discover the joy of creating a beautiful garden. There are some painful setbacks and some delicious triumphs, mixed in with some lust here, some romance there--come to think of it, a kind of human garden. The characters are quirky and endearing, the situations amusing, the presentation economical. The cinematography is good, too; the opening scene could be entitled, "A Thousand Words," for what it's worth.
I particularly salute the courage of those who dared to people a movie with a warden who wasn't sadistic, a celebrated and haughty VIP who wasn't hateful, and well-behaved prisoners who got a break. (Next thing you know, they'll be making movies involving Christians who aren't hypocrites, parents who aren't fools, conservative legislators who aren't racists, and corporation execs who are just about as honest as the rest of us.)
(Naah--never happen.)
See this movie; unless you are an action junkie or a confirmed curmudgeon, it will make you smile and be glad.
7/10
