Fernando Meirelles stunned this author with City of God and once again does a great job handling a very heady subject: medical treatment in Africa. The Constant Gardner is indeed gripping. With strong performances by Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz and a well rounded supporting cast (including a particularly scummy Bill Nighy).
Ralph Fiennes Searches for the Truth
Ralph Fiennes plays Justin Quayle, a low level British diplomat assigned to Kenya shortly after meeting the woman of his dreams, Tessa (Rachel Weisz). Tessa is a social activist whose investigations end up getting her and her Kenyan doctor friend killed. The Constant Gardner is then told in a flashback style which unravels the twisted web that lead Tessa’s death. Justin slowly learns of the treachery around him and becomes determine to find answers, even at his own peril.
The Constant Gardner does take a while to lead you through the shrubbery maze, as it were. You really need to sit back and invest yourself in this film. The reward is well worth it. While the story is fictional, you will believe it to be not too far-fetched.
Big Pharmaceutical
This author definitely believes that the continent of Africa is the most exploited and destructive place in the world. It saddens the author to go as far as to say that the West and the African “governments” have turned the continent into a bloody and diseased filled landscape, a medieval warzone with guns…
That being said, as terrible as pharmaceutical companies are, you have to hope that such lows would never be stooped to in real life. The film hammers the point over and over again that nothing but greed rules Africa. This author gets it: Europe and America are guilty about what we have done to Africa. Africa is diseased and no one is paying attention.
The cities of African nations are crowded, filthy, and incomprehensibly poor. It sucks, and it does make you feel awful. Yet, what can really be done? The world is rife with problems that will take generations upon generations to fix. Everyone around the world needs to buy into doing something to change this but not everyone has…. Well, this is not the place to discuss this. This author apologizes and will now return to analyzing the movie.
Good Points
· Rachel Weisz’s performance is tragic and brilliant. The fact that you know her character’s fate from the start of the film makes watching the steps that lead to Tessa’s death all the more heart breaking
· Ralph Fiennes really turns it up as the film unwinds. He initially came of stodgy and distant. However, you will learn how deeply Justin loved Tessa and be memerized by his determination to seek justice.
· Fernando Mierelles’ “documentary” style works very well here, just as it did in City of God. It’s a great directing style for this movie but the author doesn't belive it will serve his upcoming film Blindess.
Bad Points
· The film continuosly beats you over the head with its message. We all know drug companies go to great lengths to meet the demands of Wall Street and not the demands of people.
· The film's pace is initially slow so. That may make it difficult to get into at first.
· Some characters appeared out of nowhere, or at least that is how it seemed. The author will fully admit to trying to multitask while watching this film.
