The Constant Gardener

Great romantic thrill ride that is made even more special by the performances of Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, who both give this adaptation of the John Le Carre book a real sense of beauty, dignity and grace with their on target performances. Weisz is perfection as Tessa Qualye, a civil rights activist who is murdered for trying to bring awareness of their illegal practices on the poor natives of an African village. Weisz gives her character a self-righteous drive that is made poignant by her determination and sheer will and she also makes her character human, not a stereotype, which makes her performance the more real. Ralph Finnes plays her grieving husband Justin, who takes up her cause and begins to lean of how wonderful his wife really was and what he missed during the time she was alive. His haunted performance is in my opinion his best ever and is the driving point of this haunting odyssey of justice, lost and self sacrifice. Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes both deserve Oscar nominations for their superb performances and Fernando Meirelles deserves one as well for his superb direction that puts you smack in the middle of the story that is unfolding right in front of you.

Hands down, the best film of the year so far.

Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) is a mild-mannered British diplomat. His wife Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz) is killed in remote Kenya. She was an activist researching a corrupt pharmaceutical company. His friend Sandy Woodrow (Danny Huston) is the High Commissioner in Nairobi. He starts investigating Tessa's murder and her research. He finds her friend Dr. Arnold Bluhm was also killed.

The movie does have the jumbo structure flashing back and forth. It would work even better if Justin starts investigating sooner. It's not until midpoint when Justin goes off into the field. The flashbacks could be incorporated into the investigating. The little clues are better if Justin is looking for them. Otherwise, this is a first class movie. It has an exotic African location, great performances, and a passionate story with a social angle. This is one of those great murky John le Carré espionage tales.

"Put $50,000 in the right hands and you can test battery acid as skin lotion" what a profound and telling statement.... especially with what's happening in the world today.

This is a rare gem in today's gravel pit of features. Rachel Weisz is truly transcendent. She is just so immensely real and powerful and alive! Fienne's role as that of a somewhat distant man is the perfect complement to this.

Visually, this is one of the finest films I've seen in years; the editing is brilliant and the cinematography is beautiful; the DP gives us subtle stylistic cues and approaches which highlight the many different worlds we encounter, from the abject poverty of Africa to the interior of a private London club.

See this film...and see what a movie can really be.

I walked away from The Constant Gardener wondering how drug companies actually bench test their drugs. (The current Vioxx settlement certainly inspired cynicism) This is a thriller for the thinking crowd – with sufficient chase scenes and action sequences to justify the genre. It's paced slower then the average Grisham or Ludlum (Jason Bourne) movies I've come to love. But if you're interested in the stark realities of how medicines are tested in third world nations without having to endure negative consequences, this is a film you will want to see. It purports to reveal real-world events from Africa.

Pharmaceutical company corporate greed and compromised government ethics set the mood as Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz (on separate courses) do what they can to reveal the corruption spinning all around them. Fiennes is a British diplomat who understands what it takes to succeed in a compromising diplomatic position. Weisz refuses to give in. She's on a mission to reveal the truth - taking the political activist route - from the moment they meet. Fiennes is a love interest to the luscious Weisz, someone who offers an opportunity to cut the red tape and speed the truth about the mischief to which the drug company(s) are up to in Africa.

It's a brilliant movie showcasing how third world countries are (or can be) exploited. It deals with how a major pharmaceutical firm conducts harmful tests on ignorant, unsuspecting Kenyans. We see the other side of Africa – the side unseen in the enticing Kenyan safari tourist posters.

This is a thriller that thrills both the mind as well as the spirit. It left me wondering, "how close to the truth did they actually come?"