The Constant Gardener

😘💕

I thought the movie was great and worthy of the praise it has been getting from audiences and critics alike. Ralph Fiennes gives the performance of his career as a grieving man looking for answers and is slowing discovering the corruption all around him and Rachel Weisz steals the film whole heartily with a really deserving Oscar worthy performance as a human rights activist who will stop at nothing to get at the truth. The story is pretty scary and the cinematography is fantastic. Yes, the shaky camera can get in the way but it's not distracting enough to ruin the film. If you want to see a movie that will make you think, this is it.

The movie opens with a genteel British diplomat whose hobby provides the title, falling for a fiery human-rights activist Tessa (Rachel Weisz), after she harasses him during a speech…They're soon married, and she follows him on a placement to Kenya There, Justin (Ralph Fiennes) becomes increasingly uncomfortable with Tessa's strange relationship with Arnold Bluhm (Hubert Koundé), a black physician, doing…well, he's not sure what Suspicion of her brutal assassination soon falls on her confidant Bluhm as he was the last one seen with her, and he's now missing Justin's journey for answers takes him on a tragic odyssey fraught with mystery and peril… Haunted by memories, Justin undergoes a personality change to become more assertive when he uncovers a huge conspiracy that will stop at nothing even to make money at the expense of helpless Africans, who can't fight their own fight The film is visually brilliant, and the best aspect of it, is the murder mystery… Is Tessa really in love with Justin? Is she having an affair? What is she really up to? Based on the best-selling novel by master thriller writer John le Carré, "The Constant Gardener" is a fine love story wrapped up in a parable which has real power and it has credibility… It depicts the breach between the rich and the poor and demonstrates quite well that the world is deeply corrupt Fiennes' character, Justin, is a minor member of the diplomat corps more interested in his garden than in other people, until the passionate, radical world of Rachel Weisz's Tessa turns everything on its head… Justin respected Tessa's spirit and her conviction and idealism… And because of his love for her, he had to finish what she started… Of course people don't want the information to get out and they will do anything to silence him Rachel Weisz won her first Oscar on March 5th, 2006 for her impressive performance as the beautiful, kooky young woman, whose passion for her cause initially overshadows her gentle side

Look how much work went into boring me. Double-crosses across 2 continents with the backdrop of the "evil" drug company - how original. Not one character to care about, not one developed theme to hold your attention. I give the movie a "10" for being sanctimonious. Here we go again; drug companies are evil, the white man is evil, capitalism is evil. Some smelly hippie equates drug companies with arms dealers - good analysis! Don't like drug companies? Then don't use their products. An awful, unoriginal, pretentious waste of 3 hours. And Rachel Weisz is the new Renee Zellweger - the farther away, the better she looks.

Every 5th movie made in the last five years or so has been produced in this junk style of quasi-artistic film-making characterized by erratic photography and Cunard editing masquerading as tension and suspense in a screenplay that runs the risk of being discovered as devoid of plot if presented in sequence or photographed in an intelligible manner. Why!? To simulate reality? If anyone's life actually occurs in such an obscure and disjointed manner, then the anti-depressants aren't doing their job (I mean the directors'). When Spielberg filmed the Normandy invasion this way, it was an achievement of craft that brought the experience home to the viewer with unparalleled impact. Filming every scene since Private Ryan, however--whether of a lone actor getting into a taxi or two inept ones in an awkward love scene--in this same frenetic manner does not substitute for "art" or "chemistry" when the actors and direct have so glaringly not provided it during the filming of the scene. I dearly wish that those who are adept at naming film styles would please acknowledge and name this abysmal, fumbling mode so that those of us who would not rent, lease, purchase, or otherwise cross the street for this kind of product would be mercifully warned away by the advertising.

The Constant Gardner is a conspiracy story set mostly in Kenya. The story starts near its end, as Justin Quayle sees his wife Tessa and Arnold Bluhm, her friend and associate, depart on a flight to the Kenyan outback. Shortly thereafter, Quayle is notified that Tessa and Arnold have died when their SUV overturns; "foul play is suspected" as they say. In his mind, Justin recalls events leading to Tessa' death to determine if she was murdered. We learn that Justin is a relatively clueless second generation British Foreign Service professional when he meets Tessa just a year earlier. Tessa, an outspoken activist, sees evil hiding behind corporations and government agencies; she quickly seduces, romances and marries Justin. Their transfer to Africa provides her with a fertile hunting ground. Tessa becomes involved with Arnold, a United Nations associate, working with Aids treatment programs. She immediately suspects the big pharmaceutical companies may be using unsuspecting natives for more than Aids research. Being what she is, Tessa starts turning over stones, writing reports and involving professional activists over the Internet; not good behavior for a Foreign Service wife. The entire British Foreign Service establishment is not asleep at the wheel; Sandy Woodrow the local representative and Sir Bernard in London take notice of Tessa's activity. Was her death in vain? The Constant Gardner is adapted from a John LaCarre novel. In his classic style, it's told through the protagonist's minds eye (flashbacks) and has little live dialogue. This is a film without a screenplay and a foreign intrigue story without a mystery. The film opens at midpoint in the story with neither context setting nor character development as an introduction. The viewer must sort out the characters, storyline and plot in piecemeal fashion within the flashback sequences. The plot or conspiracy in this case is quickly apparent, since it's stated early and often with increasing emphasis as the story progresses. (Not even a Louisiana politician could misinterpret the message.) The story is told incrementally, as repetitive flashbacks and recollections add pieces to the puzzle. This turns the 2-hours runtime into an interminable evening. The Constant Gardner is being praised as one of the better films of the summer 2005 cinema season. This assertion unwittingly speaks volumes about the quality of big screen entertainment. The film is not totally without merit; Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz are perfectly cast and deliver credible performances. Fiennes is the quintessential LaCarre protagonist; self-centered, contemplative and enigmatic, he lives life as a mental not a physical exercise. Rachel Weisz projects a powerful presence and fills a big screen in all dimensions; this is an activist who will not be stopped. Finally, if you're suspicious of public institutions and believe that nuclear medicine, vaccines, antibiotics, electronic imaging and cardiovascular replacement parts grow on trees, this is the conspiracy film you've been waiting for all your life.

"City of God" director, Fernando Meirelles, does NOT disappoint with his film translation of the John Le Carré novel "The Constant Gardener." His treatment of the violence is on par with "COG." Subtly shown, emotionally felt, yet not glorified. In comparing the slums I've personally seen in South America, I'm drawn to the Kenyan slums on film, because of the way Fernando renders them. Yes, they are terrible, but you really don't want to look away. Unfortunately, I have not read the novel; therefore I cannot draw conclusions (this situation will be remedied next week). Major kudos to Ralph Fiennes for choosing Fernando Meirelles as director and to Richard McCabe, Pete Postlethwaite, Rachel Weisz, Bill Nighy, Hubert Koundé, Gerard McSorley for a job well done – they're a fabulous cast. "The Constant Gardener" is a visually alive, emotionally moving film, not as ferocious as "City of God" but thought-provoking nonetheless. Personally, I found Mr. Meirelles focused, curious, not at all jaded & cynical, down-to-earth, warm and compassionate. He conducted a Q&A after the screening of "The Constant Gardener" in Washington, DC last night. At the post-screening reception, Mr. Meirelles graciously made himself accessible to all attendees. I hope the lovely people of Venice accept "The Constant Gardener" to their festival!! Mr. Meirelles is currently making a new movie that, through the effects of globalization, unites 5 different stories of people, spanning a myriad of cultures in Brazil, China, Kenya, NYC and the desert. Best of Luck!

"The Constant Gardener" seeks to juggle three film styles-the romance, the thriller, and provocative social realism. On all three levels, the film succeeds, especially with the latter. Much credit should go to director Fernando Meirelles, who has synthesized a virtual textbook of different film techniques. The uses of set-ups, location filming, lenses, film editing, and close-ups were simply dazzling. While the panoramic scenes of the African landscape were breathtaking, there was a starkly contrasting approach to the close-ups in the scenes in the city. The jittery, hand-held camera sequences added to the dramatic tension and underscored the urgency of coming to terms with poverty and disease. The romantic portion of the film was anchored by the two characters played by Ralph Fiennes (Justin) and Rachel Weisz (Tessa). Their first meeting was dynamically presented as Tessa was a social activist heckling Justin as he was making a political speech. When the hall was cleared, however, it was Justin who was actually comforting Tessa after her outburst. The juxtaposition of the placid, passive Justin versus the fervent, hyper-kinetic Tessa was brilliantly established in that opening scene. The strands of thriller and social realism are inextricably tied together in the film. As a whodunit, "The Constant Gardener" seeks to uncover what actually happened to Justin and Tessa on their African journey. At the same time, the main culprit that emerges is the heavy hand of greed as the pharmaceutical companies exploit helpless victims of tuberculosis for the purpose of testing and marketing an experimental drug. At one point in the film, it is disclosed to Justin that the pharmaceutical industry is no different than "arms dealers." Another British film entitled "The Girl in the Café" appeared recently on American cable television. That gem of a film is a low-budget version of "The Constant Gardener." Both films seek to raise consciousness about the tragedy of world hunger and disease. The title of "The Constant Gardener" is an important one because of the time and care taken by Justin in his garden both at work and at home. In the process, however, he has ignored the urgent pleas of his wife, and he has lost touch with the world crisis to which he is arguably a contributor. The eighteenth-century French writer Voltaire ended his famous novel "Candide" with the slogan "One must cultivate one's garden." This film would appear to suggest that instead of tending our gardens, we need to follow the lead of Justin and Rachel and see how we all might work to help others right now.

Its difficult to convey how much of a disappointment the Constant Gardener was. On a scale of 1 to 10, it would be -25, for several reasons. Firstly, as a thriller the ending was in the synopses - we knew the culprits and the deeds. This leaves the details providing the only dramatic tension, which were slowly and painfully dragged out of the characters in a way which left the audience gasping for events to complete themselves. Secondly, the characterisation left the audience disinterested in the main parties. Fiennes' love for Weisz is drawn in so many clichés, and is so poorly sketched by the repetitive flashbacks, that we are left wondering why they were so interested in each other in the first place. The film then fails completely by centring the plot on this vapid excuse of a relationship. We see Fiennes cry over their first meeting, without knowing what exactly formed the basis of their relationship or why they had married. Its sad but I couldn't care less about his grief when I don't really understand why he is grieving or believe in the relationship. Thirdly, the film itself was a dog. Each character spoke in a continuous monotone, in a language which I assume was the screen writers idea of how diplomats and aid workers speak to each other. With the exception of Bill Nighy, who should have been given more screen time, each actor or actress was reduced to barking their lines to a fridge buzz. Worse, the direction was scattergun and failed to take advantage of the potential for holding any kind of drama in the situation. To try and pick the pace up, a few car/horse chases are thrown in to make up for the previous hour and a bit's plodding. They are too late, i'm afraid. Fourthly, it did a total disservice to a very deserving topic. This *should* have been a brilliant film. Instead it was a dull shell over some very worth while points about the irresponsibility of corporate power. I'd much rather seen a documentary about some real events than entertain this poor exercise in intellectual entertainment and chin stroking, cynically designed to satisfy the audiences' self-regard. There is a good corporate thriller, and it is The Insider. In that film, no one dies, yet it is compelling and fascinating despite being about a fairly idiosyncratic topic. Four people die in The Constant Garderner, yet I was completely unmoved. 3/10, please try harder.

Intelligent and moving political thriller that should be held right up there with "All The Presidents Men" and "The Killing Fields " as one of the best political thrillers ever made. Fernando Meirelles tops his last directional effort with a thriller that is moving, scary and down right forthright in it's views of big companies gone wrong and the horrors that they are willing to inflect on others for the sake of profit. Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes give career best performances in this film and that's a huge compliment considering the fact that they are good in almost everything they do, even in bad movies. Weisz is strong willed and obsessive and Fiennes is determine and endearing and both of them compliment each other with there destine to be award winning chemistry and acting chops. The director compliments both of them with a view of Africa that is rarely seen in film and a sense of reality that is only found in real life. Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes and Fernando Meirelles all should be honored at award season for their amazing efforts in this film because as of right now, this is with out a doubt the film to beat come Oscar time.