The murder of a diplomat's wife under mysterious circumstances is the crux of John LeCarre's complex political thriller THE CONSTANT GARDENER. While thematically, this type of story has been filmed before, it's not concerned so much as to who did it, or why (even though these elements remain as important as ever throughout the plot), but the gradual revelation of a woman whose story is told after her death through flashbacks, pieces of previous conversations, and recollections.
Such a woman is Tessa (Rachel Weisz)who while being an aggressive activist and a vocal force to be reckoned with is as mysterious as the people behind the wheel whom she encounters while on stay in Kenya. It's completely believable for a man like Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), a diplomat and all about control, to fall for her. She has that vibrant energy that complements his quieter nature, and even when he discloses an email that could jeopardize their marriage, he remains devoted to her where any other man would have initiated some form of argument.
So when her murder occurs right at the beginning of the movie Justin realizes how little her knew of her. The deeper he gets into unveiling who killed her the clearer this picture becomes, but it fails to answer any questions except the lingering thought that she was trying to disclose something nasty in the medical department but was stopped. He even recalls a moment when she pointed out to him right after her miscarriage that another mother was being systematically murdered by the medics attending her (as she nursed her baby). Justin takes some time to understand, but by the time he does come to, he's neck deep in murky waters.
I will admit that like Justin it took me a while to get into the meat of the story. Political thrillers have a way of meandering about, hinting at a lot of things while incorporating the main idea, that can make them a little difficult to get at first shot. Like SYRIANA, THE CONSTANT GARDENER has numerous agendas that support each other as they wield an increasing pressure on Justin, and like such, offer no easy answers or an easy way out. Pete Postlethwaite's character's very presence late in the film (and in the moment Tessa realizes the baby's mother is being murdered with untested drugs) suggests he is only another player in a chess game where powers demand results and human lives are expendable, if their drugs will eventually surface as the ones of choice.
I enjoyed the ambiguousness which lay throughout the movie. Danny Huston and Bill Nighy come through as people without souls who are all about their positions. Both have incredible scenes of hypocritical restraint with Fiennes, as if they knew a huge secret that they wouldn't tell and were urging Fiennes to stay away from further probing. The cinematography and editing, as well, is excellent in capturing just how big this conspiracy plot it and how weak we are in stopping it. At the same time, muted colors dominate throughout Justin's life is essentially over and only come alive whenever Tessa comes on screen. Even so, their very brightness seems to be an illusion, because despite the fact that love does triumph (if in Justin's devotion to Tessa), corporations remain the same, even after a crucial denouement involving a damning letter. A movie that should be seen several times to grasp its meaning, THE CONSTANT GARDENER is a thriller with a heart and a strong voice.
Such a woman is Tessa (Rachel Weisz)who while being an aggressive activist and a vocal force to be reckoned with is as mysterious as the people behind the wheel whom she encounters while on stay in Kenya. It's completely believable for a man like Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), a diplomat and all about control, to fall for her. She has that vibrant energy that complements his quieter nature, and even when he discloses an email that could jeopardize their marriage, he remains devoted to her where any other man would have initiated some form of argument.
So when her murder occurs right at the beginning of the movie Justin realizes how little her knew of her. The deeper he gets into unveiling who killed her the clearer this picture becomes, but it fails to answer any questions except the lingering thought that she was trying to disclose something nasty in the medical department but was stopped. He even recalls a moment when she pointed out to him right after her miscarriage that another mother was being systematically murdered by the medics attending her (as she nursed her baby). Justin takes some time to understand, but by the time he does come to, he's neck deep in murky waters.
I will admit that like Justin it took me a while to get into the meat of the story. Political thrillers have a way of meandering about, hinting at a lot of things while incorporating the main idea, that can make them a little difficult to get at first shot. Like SYRIANA, THE CONSTANT GARDENER has numerous agendas that support each other as they wield an increasing pressure on Justin, and like such, offer no easy answers or an easy way out. Pete Postlethwaite's character's very presence late in the film (and in the moment Tessa realizes the baby's mother is being murdered with untested drugs) suggests he is only another player in a chess game where powers demand results and human lives are expendable, if their drugs will eventually surface as the ones of choice.
I enjoyed the ambiguousness which lay throughout the movie. Danny Huston and Bill Nighy come through as people without souls who are all about their positions. Both have incredible scenes of hypocritical restraint with Fiennes, as if they knew a huge secret that they wouldn't tell and were urging Fiennes to stay away from further probing. The cinematography and editing, as well, is excellent in capturing just how big this conspiracy plot it and how weak we are in stopping it. At the same time, muted colors dominate throughout Justin's life is essentially over and only come alive whenever Tessa comes on screen. Even so, their very brightness seems to be an illusion, because despite the fact that love does triumph (if in Justin's devotion to Tessa), corporations remain the same, even after a crucial denouement involving a damning letter. A movie that should be seen several times to grasp its meaning, THE CONSTANT GARDENER is a thriller with a heart and a strong voice.