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The Constant Gardener (2005) More at IMDbPro »

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556 comments in total

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312 out of 442 people found the following comment useful :-
Rachel Weisz truly gives an Oscar worthy performance., 10 August 2005

Author: firstcallandy from NY

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Crisp and heartfelt thriller that gives you the right shot in the arm with an Oscar caliber performance by Rachel Weisz and an equally Oscar worthy performance by Ralph Fiennes. This is a film about the horrors of big business and the way they are willing to experiment on the poor to achieve their goals. Rachel Weisz plays Tessa, A feisty activist who uncovers a conspiracy by a pharmacy company to test experimental drugs on the poor natives of Africa. She then tries to fight them and expose the conspiracy until she is brutally murdered. Her husband, a quite diplomat then begins to take up her cause and try to give his departed wife justice while trying to uncover the hard truth of what is going on.

Fernando Meirelles Follow up his masterpiece ":City of God" with an equally satisfying journey of self-discovery, love and Justice. Ralph Fiennes owns the role of Justin and he takes you into the center this thrilling journey and into the center of his soul as well. The real showstopper here is the performance of Rachel Weisz, who gives the right balance of self-righteousness, heart and determination with her role. Weisz makes you believe in the film and makes you equally as determine as Justin and she was in uncovering the conspiracy and uncovering the true about what had happen to her.

This is one of the best films of the year and if there is any justice in the world, this baby would be nominated to the hill with Oscars and Rachel Weisz would get one as well because her performance is easily the best performance of any actor we have had all this year.

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284 out of 406 people found the following comment useful :-
Meirelles, Weisz and Fiennes make a modern political masterpiece., 31 August 2005

Author: lovemoreself

Intelligent and moving political thriller that should be held right up there with "All The Presidents Men" and "The Killing Fields " as one of the best political thrillers ever made. Fernando Meirelles tops his last directional effort with a thriller that is moving, scary and down right forthright in it's views of big companies gone wrong and the horrors that they are willing to inflect on others for the sake of profit. Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes give career best performances in this film and that's a huge compliment considering the fact that they are good in almost everything they do, even in bad movies. Weisz is strong willed and obsessive and Fiennes is determine and endearing and both of them compliment each other with there destine to be award winning chemistry and acting chops. The director compliments both of them with a view of Africa that is rarely seen in film and a sense of reality that is only found in real life.

Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes and Fernando Meirelles all should be honored at award season for their amazing efforts in this film because as of right now, this is with out a doubt the film to beat come Oscar time.

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271 out of 392 people found the following comment useful :-
Beautiful, Haunting and mesmerizing, 31 August 2005
Author: marylives from United States

Great romantic thrill ride that is made even more special by the performances of Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, who both give this adaptation of the John Le Carre book a real sense of beauty, dignity and grace with their on target performances. Weisz is perfection as Tessa Qualye, a civil rights activist who is murdered for trying to bring awareness of their illegal practices on the poor natives of an African village. Weisz gives her character a self-righteous drive that is made poignant by her determination and sheer will and she also makes her character human, not a stereotype, which makes her performance the more real. Ralph Finnes plays her grieving husband Justin, who takes up her cause and begins to lean of how wonderful his wife really was and what he missed during the time she was alive. His haunted performance is in my opinion his best ever and is the driving point of this haunting odyssey of justice, lost and self sacrifice. Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes both deserve Oscar nominations for their superb performances and Fernando Meirelles deserves one as well for his superb direction that puts you smack in the middle of the story that is unfolding right in front of you.

Hands down, the best film of the year so far.

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260 out of 394 people found the following comment useful :-
Haunting, Heartfelt and Horrifying, 1 September 2005

Author: rayoduck from United States

Slow tension building thriller that is charge even more with the great performances of Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, who both bring an essence of realism to their roles and a sense of chemistry that is really not found in movies like this anymore. Rachel Weisz brings a ferry fury that is ripe in it's convictions and Ralph Fiennes brings a cool, collective zeal that is a slow building timer ready to emotionally exploded at any minute. Both performances compliment the fine directing of Fernando Meirelles, who gives this tale a sense of brilliance in its storytelling and a sense of the way the world really works. It's a heartfelt story of lost and redemption and it's hauntingly poetic in it's horrifying look at the horrors of a world that is willing to cast a blind eye at the problems of big business and corrupt governments that are willing to do anything in order to make a fast buck. Even going as far than to destroy human life to achieve their goals.

This is a brilliant film and I can't wait to see it again.

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208 out of 296 people found the following comment useful :-
3-in-1 Film: Romance, Thriller, and Social Realism!, 1 September 2005

Author: lavatch from Twin Cities, Minnesota

"The Constant Gardener" seeks to juggle three film styles—the romance, the thriller, and provocative social realism. On all three levels, the film succeeds, especially with the latter.

Much credit should go to director Fernando Meirelles, who has synthesized a virtual textbook of different film techniques. The uses of set-ups, location filming, lenses, film editing, and close-ups were simply dazzling. While the panoramic scenes of the African landscape were breathtaking, there was a starkly contrasting approach to the close-ups in the scenes in the city. The jittery, hand-held camera sequences added to the dramatic tension and underscored the urgency of coming to terms with poverty and disease.

The romantic portion of the film was anchored by the two characters played by Ralph Fiennes (Justin) and Rachel Weisz (Tessa). Their first meeting was dynamically presented as Tessa was a social activist heckling Justin as he was making a political speech. When the hall was cleared, however, it was Justin who was actually comforting Tessa after her outburst. The juxtaposition of the placid, passive Justin versus the fervent, hyper-kinetic Tessa was brilliantly established in that opening scene.

The strands of thriller and social realism are inextricably tied together in the film. As a whodunit, "The Constant Gardener" seeks to uncover what actually happened to Justin and Tessa on their African journey. At the same time, the main culprit that emerges is the heavy hand of greed as the pharmaceutical companies exploit helpless victims of tuberculosis for the purpose of testing and marketing an experimental drug. At one point in the film, it is disclosed to Justin that the pharmaceutical industry is no different than "arms dealers."

Another British film entitled "The Girl in the Café" appeared recently on American cable television. That gem of a film is a low-budget version of "The Constant Gardener." Both films seek to raise consciousness about the tragedy of world hunger and disease. The title of "The Constant Gardener" is an important one because of the time and care taken by Justin in his garden both at work and at home. In the process, however, he has ignored the urgent pleas of his wife, and he has lost touch with the world crisis to which he is arguably a contributor.

The eighteenth-century French writer Voltaire ended his famous novel "Candide" with the slogan "One must cultivate one's garden." This film would appear to suggest that instead of tending our gardens, we need to follow the lead of Justin and Rachel and see how we all might work to help others right now.

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191 out of 288 people found the following comment useful :-
Powerful and haunting story, 1 September 2005

Author: cinemafilo from Canada

It's been less than a day since I have seen it and I find it difficult to get it out of my mind. The images and feelings stay with you. The direction, cinematography and editing is superb. If you loved the style of "City of God" with its "documentary style" camera work then you'll love this too. The story is done "non-linear" like it was in the book….and I thought it made the experience of seeing the movie so much more enjoyable. Since the film starts off very early with the death of Tessa and then continues with Justin's journey of discovery to find out the cause of her death which only seems to bring even more heartache and anger.....the non-linear style allowed for some light hearted moments from Justin and Tessa's marriage to break up the tension.

The performances by both Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are excellent. The relationship between Justin and Tessa came across as very real and touching and it's a testament to the chemistry between the 2 actors. The intimate moments were some of the most realistic I have ever seen of a couple in love…...unlike "Hollywood movie love". Fiennes performance is unforgettable. I would have to rate this very close to the quality I saw in "Schindler's List". He demonstrates such a change from the beginning of the movie to the end. He conveys so much with just his face. Justin will break your heart… especially as he gains wisdom. The soundtrack provides a wonderful complement to Justin's journey of discovery. The music has a haunting quality as does this movie.

It's a testament to Meireilles that the movie seems to slowly draw you in and hooks you as you go along with Justin. It challenges the viewer to see the poverty and forces you to face your own complacency in the world. So as Justin gains wisdom and is forced out of his complacency….. it is like Meireilles is turning the mirror towards the audience and asking them "Do you see what's happening in the world? What are you going to do about it?". It is a powerful and moving story and I think will soon become a favorite. I expect nominations for all the major categories.

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178 out of 291 people found the following comment useful :-
Fiennes is great but Weisz rules, 2 September 2005

Author: surethingslooks from United States

Better than the book adaptation of the John Le Carre novel has a great director like Fernando Meirelles at the helm and two amazing actors like Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes at the wheel to steer this movie into Oscar heaven with two brilliant performance that will not be match for sometime to come. Ralph Fiennes is just great as a grieving man out to find out the circumstances of his wife's murder and the reasons behind it. His performance is a texture of desperation and self-discovery and he begins to show faith in not only his wife's memory but in the world itself in his way to find justice. While Fiennes gives a great performance, it's truly Rachel Weisz who shines the most with a complex, powerful and tricky performance. We only get to know her from flashbacks and dialog from people who have met her character and from Justin himself. Some of those flashbacks are deceiving but all of them make up a total character who is structured enough towards the end to get a real picture of who she was. It's a tightrope of a performance and Rachel Weisz not only serves it up with class and strong will but with grace as well. She literally gives the performance of the year and it would be a crime towards real cinema if she were not recognizes for her efforts come Oscar time.

Fernando Meirelles gives his all in this film in terms of technical brilliance and he gets great support from Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes who with his effort give this year's first great film.

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97 out of 130 people found the following comment useful :-
A compelling love story, very original… and an intriguing drama with a flavor of reality…, 12 March 2006

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The movie opens with a genteel British diplomat whose hobby provides the title, falling for a fiery human-rights activist Tessa (Rachel Weisz), after she harasses him during a speech…They're soon married, and she follows him on a placement to Kenya…

There, Justin (Ralph Fiennes) becomes increasingly uncomfortable with Tessa's strange relationship with Arnold Bluhm (Hubert Koundé), a black physician, doing…well, he's not sure what…

Suspicion of her brutal assassination soon falls on her confidant Bluhm as he was the last one seen with her, and he's now missing…

Justin's journey for answers takes him on a tragic odyssey fraught with mystery and peril… Haunted by memories, Justin undergoes a personality change to become more assertive when he uncovers a huge conspiracy that will stop at nothing even to make money at the expense of helpless Africans, who can't fight their own fight…

The film is visually brilliant, and the best aspect of it, is the murder mystery… Is Tessa really in love with Justin? Is she having an affair? What is she really up to?

Based on the best-selling novel by master thriller writer John le Carré, "The Constant Gardener" is a fine love story wrapped up in a parable which has real power and it has credibility… It depicts the breach between the rich and the poor and demonstrates quite well that the world is deeply corrupt…

Fiennes' character, Justin, is a minor member of the diplomat corps more interested in his garden than in other people, until the passionate, radical world of Rachel Weisz's Tessa turns everything on its head… Justin respected Tessa's spirit and her conviction and idealism… And because of his love for her, he had to finish what she started… Of course people don't want the information to get out and they will do anything to silence him…

Rachel Weisz won her first Oscar on March 5th, 2006 for her impressive performance as the beautiful, kooky young woman, whose passion for her cause initially overshadows her gentle side…

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177 out of 292 people found the following comment useful :-
Weisz and Fiennes knock this one right out of the ballpark., 10 August 2005

Author: ladywaitinganew

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Fernando Meirelles Adaptation of the John Le Carre novel " The Constant Garner" is a taste of perfection with two great performances by Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes who both breath life into this breathtaking thriller about a corrupt pharmaceutical company who are conducting illegal experimentation's on the people of a tribal village in Africa. Rachel Weisz plays Tessa Qualye, a human rights activist who stumbles upon this conspiracy and tries to champion the rights of the tribesmen but when she is killed, Her husband Justin (Ralph Fiennes)comes out of his protective shell to find her killers and to figure out the extend of this conspiracy. Fernando Meirelles gives this nail bitter a realistic edged that puts you right in the middle of the action and gives you a kind of photographic beauty that makes the landscape of the African nation a sight to behold. The acting is a compliment to the direction with Rachel Weisz proving once again to be an uncanny actress with incredible range. She solidifies herself as one of the most powerful actors of her generation with a supercharge performance that deserves all the praise it has been getting. Ralph Fiennes proves as well to be one of the most talented actors around with a performance that is complex and thought provoking and it has several cracks beneath the surface once you really get into the movie.

This is one great film and with such a lackluster summer full of real crap, this is a real gem to behold

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131 out of 201 people found the following comment useful :-
Stunning...., 20 September 2005

Author: Piltdown_Man from United States

This is a rare gem in today's gravel pit of features. Rachel Weisz is truly transcendent. She is just so immensely real and powerful and alive! Fienne's role as that of a somewhat distant man is the perfect complement to this.

Visually, this is one of the finest films I've seen in years; the editing is brilliant and the cinematography is beautiful; the DP gives us subtle stylistic cues and approaches which highlight the many different worlds we encounter, from the abject poverty of Africa to the interior of a private London club.

See this film...and see what a movie can really be.

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