By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Bernard Otieno Oduor | Bill Nighy | Damaris Itenyo Agweyu | Daniele Harford | Danny Huston | Hubert Koundé | Rachel Weisz | Ralph Fiennes
Country: united_kingdom
Year: 2005
Running time: 129
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387131/combined
Bruce says: “Had anyone asked I would have said John Le Carré is prolific, but that is hardly the case considering he has published only eighteen novels in forty four years.
“Le Carré (The Tailof of Panama, The Spy Who Came In from the Cold) is noted for his spy thrillers. His success lies in his
ability to capture a political intrigue that will appeal to his audience at the time his books are published. SPY was a cold war thriller; TAILOR, about the evils of empire influencing lesser states. THE CONSTANT GARDENER has a mega corporation as the villain.
“Fernando Meirelles, considered a wunderkind after his CITY OF GOD became an instant cult classic, does a wonderful job of capturing the flavor of Africa and the inner mechanisms that make his two main characters tick. Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) is a competent charming biologist albeit a bit of an academic nerd. Tessa (Rachel Weisz) attends one of his lectures, does her best to humiliate him during the Q & A afterwards, and lures him into her bed before the day is over. When Justin is about to leave for a sabbatical in Africa, Tessa begs him to take her along. When Justin asks how she says ‘Marry me.’
“Meirelles gives his audience a very good grasp their life in Africa with a minimum of repetitious movement. He also defines the Quayles’ relationship nicely. Some of the photography is lyrical, quite fitting as more of the details are revealed. While Justin is fussing over his plants Tessa is stumbling upon some ugly business. AIDS patients are receiving medication for their immune system but they are also being used as guinea pigs for testing a new TB drug. Tessa never returns from one of her investigative
trips and Justin out of his love for her resolves to uncover the mystery of what Tessa found that cost her her life. The lion’s share of the film involves his determined efforts plus lots of flashbacks to fill in the jigsaw.
“As much as I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, this just isn’t that type of film. From the beginning we know too much and the details of the villainy are not a good payoff for sitting through a very long film. The problem with having a corporation as the bad guy is that the corporation isn’t nimble enough for a good chase scene. 4 cats”