2005, UK
Drama, Romance, Thriller
In a beautiful land of valuable customs and traditions, only the people are disposable. At least in the eyes of the money-hungry pharmaceutical companies' view of Africa in John le Carré's (The Tailor of Panama, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold) novel The Constant Gardener.
The tale is adapted beautifully to film under the brilliant direction of Fernando Meirelles (City of God). Cinematographer César Charlone rejoins him and provides a gritty, digitally filmed vision of Kenya full of eye-popping colors and natural perspective, with almost a documentary quality. Pedro Almodóvar's constant composer Alberto Iglesias (Bad Education, All About My Mother) presents this world through multilayered music that is sometimes somber, always wonderfully rich. From these components, the respect for the native population is evident in the careful treatment of the villages and gentle handling of their characters. Since the locals as a group become a vital center to the story, it is important that they are reflected with a human touch that is absent from the treatment of the big businesses and governments abusing them.
Surrounding this political thriller is an intensifying romance between a man and his murdered wife. British diplomat Justin (the mesmerizing Ralph Fiennes of The English Patient), acting as a representative for aid effectiveness to Africa, never truly realized the power of one human being until he married his activist wife, Tessa (powerhouse actress Rachel Weisz of About a Boy). Her hidden double-life becomes his obsession as he discovers her meddling was far more effective than he presumed.
Through Justin's investigations he discovers a boundless love for his wife though he had previously questioned her true motives for their life together. Her intense passion for her work often masked her gentler feelings, and everything Justin thought he knew crumbles as he delves deeper into connections within his own profession. As a conspiracy reveals itself, his life unfolds in reverse and he realizes just how much Tessa affected everything she touched.
Meirelles' film is so rich, so taut, so clean, down to every strand that quickly unravels. The story is not so confusing as to burden the viewer with excess information, but divulges its secrets in a fashion realistic of the diplomat's exploration of the rumors and facts. The film is visually stunning, pulling the viewer compassionately into the lives of a welcoming people who live in a rough land. Meirelles chose to film the movie in Kenya rather than the more movie-friendly South Africa so that the story did not loose its authenticity or genuineness, and the results allow a very human tale be told without being artificial. This is a gripping story of love: love for a people, love for country, and a true love buried by the troubles that the former two loves produce.
Extras on this disc include deleted scenes, a full version of the Kibera HIV play, a featurette about filming in Kenya, an interview with the author, and a behind the scenes featurette. A commentary track is sorely missed, but the featurettes are very informative if slightly overlapping.