The Constant Gardener

This tale of political intrigue centers on Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), a member of the British High Commission based in Africa, and his quest for truth. When his wife (Rachel Weisz, in an Oscar-winning turn for her supporting role) is murdered, Justin begins his own international investigation. Not even the rumors of his wife's affairs will stop him from uncovering the truth -- a conspiracy much larger and more dangerous than he'd imagined.

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» Recommended for 1 person

» Reviewed by 5 people

I was actually sure I wouldn't like this movie, but I did. Well acted, shot, and paced. The scandal at the heart of this is not that explosive, but so what, the rest is great.
- Stew & Terri

I’m not sure what I was expecting from The Constant Gardener, but what I got was definitely unexpected. I think the film was probably marketed incorrectly, attempting to draw a demographic that would ultimately be disappointed. The trailers I remember sold The Constant Gardener as a fast-paced thriller, with quite a bit of action on the side. Neither of those descriptions are true. Even though The Constant Gardener doesn’t move at what might be considered a break-neck pace, I’d argue that the movie is, in fact, perfectly paced. Emotions rise and fall alongside the plot’s peaks and valleys. Everything seems perfectly balanced. There’s an underlying energy that pushes the movie forward at a constant rate. It never barrels out of control, but it also never slows down. Ralph Fiennes gives an amazing performance as the main character, a British diplomat searching for answers in his wife’s mysterious murder. I’ll be surprised if Fiennes doesn’t at least get another nomination for this year’s Oscars. Rachel Weisz plays his wife who, although she’s murdered early on, has a big part in the flashbacks. There’s a whole slew of other actors whose faces I certainly recognize, but whose names I can’t recall. The director, Fernando Meirelles, garnered a lot of attention and accolades for his last movie, City of God. After watching The Constant Gardener, it’s obvious that the man is talented and I’m sure all the positive talk about City of God was justified. He weaves foreign landscapes in Kenya with the more familiar cityscapes of London with interesting results. The colors come and go, the white levels rise and fall, and the mood of the movie rhythmically changes. What’s remarkable is the fact that Meirelles seems to have everything completely under control.
- eclapham

The Constant Gardener is a grand film of British manners encountering third-world suffering in Africa, and how the two societies cross-pollinate (with corruption and nobility on both sides). The story gradually reveals itself right up to the end, with plot twists that make you think throughout. It's all about the humanity of the people of Africa and the people of Britain; the story is told through the powerful love of a married couple, the altruism of those who seek to save lives in Africa, and the betrayal and complicity in murder of those who seek riches and control. The movie carries the ball from start to finish, and impressively; the acting is of a fine level; however, with no gratuitous explosions or automatic gunfire, the philistines will find it boring. 5 stars.
- robowriter

Perhaps I was sleepy when watching this movie, but I kept getting confused about time frame. I did enjoy some of the wonderful landscapes, and I think the story is an extremely important one that needs to be told, but I had to keep rewinding because I kept getting lost about the time frame, about whether Justin was in the past or present. I think a second viewing might help me, so I may do that before returning the movie. Okay, after seeing it again, I understood better some of the major concepts I missed before, but my initial thought still stands. I loved the message and I loved the "love" component - the very deep bond between Justin and his wife that transcended the physical - but I still think the movie could have been edited much better so that it didn't come across as so disjointed. I got it, the connections, the second time around, but I think the filmmaker could have made smoother transitions. The 4 stars are for the message and the love portrayed.
- VJ Purplequeen

Incredible. Exciting. Chilling. Beautiful. Just a few words to describe this film. I was riveted for the entire two hours--Fiennes has been a long favorite and he returns to the heights he had achieved with The English Patient. Rachel Weisz was simply incredible in an Oscar winning turn. Do check this out...you will be glad you did!
- TH Reviews