Greed, corruption and murder conspire to make The Constant Gardener an unusually intelligent thriller.
The Constant Gardener (2005)
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Reviews Counted:178
Fresh:148
Rotten:30
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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Reviews for The Constant Gardener
Not only preserves the book's flaws but has added to them...the combination of drama and soap box proves an uneasy, and ultimately unsuccessful, one.
This is one of those rare movies that feels genuinely alive; it’s about something substantial and there wasn’t a moment when I wasn’t involved.
Meirelles continues to distinguish himself as a director and notches another beautifully shot film.
“The Constant Gardener” fairly blooms with award potential in a lush, serious romance that’s also a political thriller.
Fiennes is perfect as the straightbacked British functionary; Weisz excellent as his wife and political opposite whose heart is in the right place, even as some of her actions embarrass him.
Meirelles has performed a minor miracle. He's made a film that introduces us to a little-known world, which hums with suspense, and which celebrates the power of love. And he has created something that is irresistible.
Meirelles captures the beauty of Africa as well as the quagmire that is African politics - hitting the right sympathetic notes without getting too bogged down in controversy.
...a visually intelligent and textured film that touches on the residual shame of colonialism, the inherent amorality of global capitalism and the indestructibility of love.
Take rock-solid international talents, add a healthy dose of cash, plant in a sublime location, and soon you'll have the bloom that is The Constant Gardner, the smartest thriller in recent memory.
While Gardener really wants to come off as daring and politically aware, at its heart it's a mystery and love story, and it succeeds on both of those counts.
The Constant Gardener helps end a truly scary summer (worldwide) with a grandious blunt show of the magic of film and its power...
A disappointment, but only because we know the director is capable of so much more.
The film is engaging, still it never connects with much more than a curiosity. The emotions run, but not deep.
The Constant Gardener can boast of prime cinematography, an engaging and multi-layered storyline, and a handsome, controlled performance by Ralph Fiennes.
it's one of those movies you shouldn't see if you loved Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.
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