The Constant Gardener
I'm going to kick off my film section with a film I saw and loved a couple of years ago. I will throw in reviews of films I have seen in the past as this blog is new, along with reviews of new films as and when I see them. As a result most of the retrospective reviews will probably be rated higher in general, as I will be positng more my my favourites than duds. I rate each film on an A+ to F rating, this of course, is only my opinion, but on my blog, it counts for rather a lot :)
The Constant Gardener (2005) - I saw this first in November 2005
Starring Ralph Finnes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Houston, Bill Nighty
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
This film at a glance is one I did not expect a huge amount from, as this sort of storyline tends to work better in books rather than films. This however, well and truely delivered. The lead characters, Ralph Finnes as diplomat Justin Quale, and Rachael Weisz who plays his activist wife Tessa, deliver outstanding performances.
The basis of the plot is Justin is parachuted in to deliver a lecture on the diplomats role in Government foreign policy. After the lecture Tessa delivers a diatribe against the Governemnt. Justin finds her passion attractive and the meet up later. Eventually Justin agrees to marry Tessa which allows her to go to Africa to pusue work with poverty stricken children in Africa. Her outbursts however are an embarrasment to the British Government. Eventually on on of her trips to Africa, Tessa is brutally murdered.
Justin is told his wifes death was suicide. Justin does not believe this, and his wifes readicalisation engulfs him in a search through three continents to search for the truth. He finds a deal between the Governement, and a pharmacutical firm making money out of selling dubious medicine to Africans may have been the link to his wifes death, in the process, his own life is now at risk.
The major trick of this movie is the sequencing. It moves back and forward in time, then back again. This allows the film to give hints of whats to come, then explain how it gets there.This clever decice is at its most powerful at the end, allowing the movie to finish in the only way it could, while still being able to show the consequences of Justin's actions afterwards.
It also has the advantage of the third world eye of Fernando Meirelles, this gives the film a true feel of the reality in Africa in the scenes filmed there. The directing and editing in this film is simply beautiful to watch, and gets the balance between beauty and sadness, power and emotion, absolutely right.
This film has politics, romance, cover-up, great acting, great directing and an emotional intensity few films can match. If you have not seen this film, I urge you to do so.
THE MOON OF LIBERTY VERDICT - MY RATING 'A+' - I voted this my own favourite film of 2005, Rachel Weisz went to to win best Supporting Actress at the OSCARS, and deservedly so. I love this film, in my top few films of all time.
