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The Constant Gardener (2005)
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Reviews Counted: 177
Fresh: 148
Rotten:29
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Consensus: The Constant Gardener is a smart, gripping, and suspenseful thriller with rich performances from the leads.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language, some violent images and sexual content/nudity
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Genre: Thriller
Theatrical Release:Aug 31, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $33,565,375
Synopsis: Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, whose previous film, CITY OF GOD, won awards all over the world--and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2004 Oscars--has crafted another... Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, whose previous film, CITY OF GOD, won awards all over the world--and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2004 Oscars--has crafted another highly entertaining yet important film. Beautifully shot in Kenya, Germany, Sudan, Manitoba, and London, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, based on a bestselling novel by John Le Carré, is an exciting mix of romance and spy thriller. Ralph Fiennes stars as Justin Quayle, a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not causing any problems. But after his radical wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), is killed, he becomes determined to find out why, thrusting himself into the middle of a very dangerous conspiracy. Jeffrey Caine's powerful screenplay alternates between flashbacks of Justin and Tessa's relationship and Justin's hunt for the truth, which makes him a target--although he doesn't know who is after him. Fine support is offered by Danny Huston as his close friend and confidant, Sandy; Bill Nighy as shady British official Sir Bernard Pellegrin; and Hubert Koundé as Arnold Bluhm, an African doctor who might have been a little too friendly with Tessa. Meirelles's pacing is outstanding, switching effortlessly between political intrigue, action adventure, and love story. And Fiennes and Weisz give strong performances playing complex characters that will continually surprise the audience. THE CONSTANT GARDENER is a thrilling tale from start to finish. [More]
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Bill Nighy
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Bill Nighy, Daniele Harford, Hubert Kounde, Pete Postlethwaite, Nick Reding, Anneke Kim Sarnau, Donald Apiyo
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Caine
Producer: Simon Channing Williams
Composer: Alberto Iglesias
Studio: Focus Features
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Release:
Jun 14, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Dual Side - Single Layer
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digita 5.1 French
- Dolby Digital 5.1 English
- Subtitles - English (SDH)
- Subtitles - French
- Subtitles - Spanish
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
- Extended Scene - Haruma - Play In Kibera
Featurette:
- 1. EMBRACING AFRICA: FILMING IN KENYA
- 2. JOHN LE CARRE: FROM PAGE TO THE SCREEN
- 3. ANATOMY OF A GLOBAL THRILLER: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Reviews for The Constant Gardener
Fernando Meirelles, codirector of City of God, stresses old-fashioned storytelling and takes full advantage of his cast, including Danny Huston.
Fiennes has always been good, but in author John le Carré's 2000 postimperial African thriller, he may have found his signature role.
What it adds up to is a good yarn that uses real political concerns to make itself look beefier than the average Hollywood thriller.
Mr. Fiennes, drawing his lips inward and adding just a slight quaver to his voice, gives his finest performance in almost a decade.
a deeply intelligent and profoundly moral examination of a world where the political and the personal cannot ever be kept apart.
Elaborate, cynical, ambitious, eager, visually arresting, the film wants it all and gives plenty.
The pornography of Third World damage and suffering for the popcorn munching voyeuristic entertainment of more economically cozy moviegoers.
While le Carre's narrative returns an unequivocal guilty verdict on the drug companies, the jury on Meirelles's storytelling abilities remains hung.
The Constant Gardener" has strengths that aren't apparent until the final credits start rolling.
Fiennes does a brilliant job of communicating his character's inner turmoil through subtle facial expressions and inflections of his voice.
Admirably composed, even if it ultimately feels a bit of a shame that it all has to come down to good guys and bad guys.
It's the artiest conspiracy theory movie in a while, not too pulpy or too auteurish, but just right.
Interesting but flawed examination of multinational corporation criminality
A timely, daring movie that skillfully weaves the corruption of big government and drugs--the pharmaceutical sort--deep into its equation.
Fiennes and Weisz, who have worked together before in Istvan Szabo's Sunshine, make a glamorous pair. And while this may not have been the effect le Carre was after, it does no lasting damage to his theme.
This multi-faceted masterpiece works successfully on more levels than any ten remakes or sequels pumped out of the habitual humdrum Hollywood hit machine.
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