The Constant Gardener (2005)
Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Hubert Kounde, Danny Huston, Daniele Harford ... (see more) , Packson Ngugi , Damaris Itenyo Agweyu , Bernard Otieno Oduor , Bill Nighy
When a British diplomat's wife -- a socially-conscious lawyer -- turns up dead in Kenya, he sets out to find the truth surrounding her murder. In the process, he finds out that his wife had been compiling data against a multinational drug company that uses helpless Africans as guinea pigs to test a ... (read more) When a British diplomat's wife -- a socially-conscious lawyer -- turns up dead in Kenya, he sets out to find the truth surrounding her murder. In the process, he finds out that his wife had been compiling data against a multinational drug company that uses helpless Africans as guinea pigs to test a tuberculosis remedy with unfortunately fatal side effects. Therefore, those who may have had the most reason to silence her are closer to home than he ever imagined.
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R, 2 hrs. 9 min.
Directed by:
Fernando Meirelles
Release Date: Aug 31, 2005
DVD Release Date: Jan 10, 2006
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Flixster User Reviews
I saw it a while ago so my memory of it is a bit foggy but I remember being taken in the story, even though it was very slow. I felt that the "slowness" was actually an asset to the movie.
I went to this film expecting it to be about an obsessive-compulsive gardener. Good thing I had free passes.
Love it. Ralph Fiennes is fantastic. The film also has some of the most gripping editing and camera work of 2005.
A well-crafted and heart-wrenching film that unfortunately never catches up to what the audience already knows after 45 minutes. The factual issue addressed, of pharmaceutical exploitation in Africa, is exquisitely woven into the plot so as to be ess... (read more) A well-crafted and heart-wrenching film that unfortunately never catches up to what the audience already knows after 45 minutes. The factual issue addressed, of pharmaceutical exploitation in Africa, is exquisitely woven into the plot so as to be essential and never preachy, but the cinematic voyage is so predictable as to preclude any tension, there is a notion of "we know this, get on with it." Weisz is excellent as a woman of overflowing passion for her husband and her cause and Fiennes is solid in his dogged pursuit to catch up to her (and the audience). The ending, considering what preceded it, is surprisingly moving. Perhaps the saddest thing about The Constant Gardener is the numbness and powerlessness one feels towards after Africa after watching it. As one character offers, "That's the way it is here." And given the depth and abundance of problems, one can't help but believe that it is way it shall continue to be.
Don't let the Teaser trick you like it did me. This movie SUCKS! It is soooo boring!
Critic Reviews
Meirelles clearly trusts his actors, particularly Fiennes and Weisz: The plot of The Constant Gardener is fairly intricate, but in the end, the story is told mostly in their faces.full review
Fernando Meirelles's excellent adaptation of the novel by John le Carré is likely to linger in your mind and may even trouble your conscience.full review
Unbalanced... disingenuous... cares no more about Africa than do the story's evil villains at a make-believe drug company.full review
It might inspire you to haul out those garden spades and get digging.full review
A gripping thriller, an unbelievably romantic love story, and a biting political take-down of pharmaceutical corporations that have Godlike power over life and death.full review
The fact that none of the above is satisfactorily answered, and that we nevertheless emerge from the movie feeling nourished and stirred, is a tribute to Meirelles and, of course, to le Carré.full review
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