The Constant Gardner
3/4
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Bill Nighy, Donald Sumpter, Gerard McSorely, Pete Postlethwaite
Rated R for Language, Some Violent Images and Sexual Content/Nudity
John Le Carre's novels are not easy to digest. There are so many characters, double talk, and twists that reading them turns one's mind into a pretzel...and you still don't know if you've got it all right. That was the problem with "The Tailor of Panama," another film based on one of his stories, and it's true of "The Constant Gardener." But Fernando Meirelles follow-up to his masterpiece, "City of God," which is probably one of the best films ever made, is confusing in specifics, the general thrust of the story is not. But what really makes the film special is the love story between Justin and Tessa Quayle.
Justin (Fiennes) is a mild-mannered diplomat who is giving a speech in the place of someone higher up. He is bombarded with questions by a firey woman who causes such a disturbance that everyone leaves. She apologizes to him and he takes her out for a drink. Her name is Tessa (Weisz), an activist with a focus on Africa. They fall in love and marry. While on a trip to Africa with her friend Arnold Bluhm (Hubert Kounde), she and Bluhm are killed. Justin smells something funny, but his superiors tell him to drop it. He eventually comes across a conspiracy involving drug companies and the British government with the African people caught in the middle.
The thriller elements are the least successful in the film, which is surprising considering that it comes from a novel by John Le Carre. The story is complex, and the script by Jeffrey Caine doesn't do a good enough job of telling us who is who and what is doing. Meirelles's handheld camera movements also inhibit a feeling of paranoia.
What saves the film are the performances. Ralph Fiennes is able to play just about anything, from a psychopathic Nazi guard ("Schindler's List") to a lawyer betrayed by love ("The Reader"). While Justin Quayle isn't a flashy role by any stretch of the imagination, it's one of his best performances. Justin is a pencil-pusher and a doormat; the perfect guy for powerful politicians who need someone to face the music for them. He has no change when he comes across someone so filled with life as Tessa. Tessa was his life, and he wants to know what happened to her. It his her passion that, even after her death, gives him purpose.
Rachel Weisz was probably the only person who could play Tessa Quayle. The bubbly librarian from the first two "Mummy" movies, Weisz is a bundle of energy. But while Caine's script may have fumbled the ball with the plot, he has developed her character into something truly special. With a mix of headstrong passion, endless love and a dash of vulnerability, Tessa becomes refreshingly real. It's impossible not to fall in love with her.
The supporting cast is made up of British character actors, all of whom do effective work and none of whom try to steal the spotlight from Fiennes and Weisz.
"City of God" was bursting with energy. It was gritty, violent and explosive. Fernando Meirelles has used that same kinetic style for "The Constant Gardner," but I'm not sure that it fits. It hampers our ability to follow the story and figure out who all the characters are and where they fit in to the story. Maybe he was trying to plug the holes in the plot, but it doesn't really work. Still, he is a master at directing actors. The chemistry between Fiennes and Weisz catches fire from their first conversation, and burns passionately. That's why I'm recommending the film.
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Bill Nighy, Donald Sumpter, Gerard McSorely, Pete Postlethwaite
Rated R for Language, Some Violent Images and Sexual Content/Nudity
John Le Carre's novels are not easy to digest. There are so many characters, double talk, and twists that reading them turns one's mind into a pretzel...and you still don't know if you've got it all right. That was the problem with "The Tailor of Panama," another film based on one of his stories, and it's true of "The Constant Gardener." But Fernando Meirelles follow-up to his masterpiece, "City of God," which is probably one of the best films ever made, is confusing in specifics, the general thrust of the story is not. But what really makes the film special is the love story between Justin and Tessa Quayle.
Justin (Fiennes) is a mild-mannered diplomat who is giving a speech in the place of someone higher up. He is bombarded with questions by a firey woman who causes such a disturbance that everyone leaves. She apologizes to him and he takes her out for a drink. Her name is Tessa (Weisz), an activist with a focus on Africa. They fall in love and marry. While on a trip to Africa with her friend Arnold Bluhm (Hubert Kounde), she and Bluhm are killed. Justin smells something funny, but his superiors tell him to drop it. He eventually comes across a conspiracy involving drug companies and the British government with the African people caught in the middle.
The thriller elements are the least successful in the film, which is surprising considering that it comes from a novel by John Le Carre. The story is complex, and the script by Jeffrey Caine doesn't do a good enough job of telling us who is who and what is doing. Meirelles's handheld camera movements also inhibit a feeling of paranoia.
What saves the film are the performances. Ralph Fiennes is able to play just about anything, from a psychopathic Nazi guard ("Schindler's List") to a lawyer betrayed by love ("The Reader"). While Justin Quayle isn't a flashy role by any stretch of the imagination, it's one of his best performances. Justin is a pencil-pusher and a doormat; the perfect guy for powerful politicians who need someone to face the music for them. He has no change when he comes across someone so filled with life as Tessa. Tessa was his life, and he wants to know what happened to her. It his her passion that, even after her death, gives him purpose.
Rachel Weisz was probably the only person who could play Tessa Quayle. The bubbly librarian from the first two "Mummy" movies, Weisz is a bundle of energy. But while Caine's script may have fumbled the ball with the plot, he has developed her character into something truly special. With a mix of headstrong passion, endless love and a dash of vulnerability, Tessa becomes refreshingly real. It's impossible not to fall in love with her.
The supporting cast is made up of British character actors, all of whom do effective work and none of whom try to steal the spotlight from Fiennes and Weisz.
"City of God" was bursting with energy. It was gritty, violent and explosive. Fernando Meirelles has used that same kinetic style for "The Constant Gardner," but I'm not sure that it fits. It hampers our ability to follow the story and figure out who all the characters are and where they fit in to the story. Maybe he was trying to plug the holes in the plot, but it doesn't really work. Still, he is a master at directing actors. The chemistry between Fiennes and Weisz catches fire from their first conversation, and burns passionately. That's why I'm recommending the film.
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