The Constant Gardener (2005)

Director:

Fernando Meirelles

Writers:

John le Carré (novel)
Jeffrey Caine (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 August 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Love. At any cost.

Plot:

A widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife's murder, big business, and corporate corruption.

Plot Keywords:

Kenya | Diplomat | Death | Murder | Conspiracy

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 20 wins & 42 nominations

Cast

Ralph Fiennes	...	Justin Quayle
Rachel Weisz	...	Tessa Quayle
Hubert Koundé	...	Dr. Arnold Bluhm
Danny Huston	...	Sandy Woodrow
Daniele Harford	...	Miriam
Packson Ngugi	...	Officer in Morgue
Damaris Itenyo Agweyu	...	Jomo's Wife
Bernard Otieno Oduor	...	Jomo
Gerard McSorley	...	Sir Kenneth 'Kenny' Curtiss
Bill Nighy	...	Sir Bernard Pellegrin
Keith Pearson	...	Porter Coleridge
John Sibi-Okumu	...	Dr. Joshua Ngaba
Donald Sumpter	...	Tim Donohue
Archie Panjabi	...	Ghita Pearson
Nick Reding	...	Crick

Also Known As:

Der ewige Gärtner (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violent images and sexual content/nudity.

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

UK | Germany

Language:

English | Italian | Swahili | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:NC-16 | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:R-12 | Argentina:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:12 | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/16 | Germany:12 | France:U | Malaysia:U | Hungary:16 | Iceland:16 | Norway:11 | South Korea:15 | USA:R (certificate #41450) | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Potboiler Productions

Trivia:

The character Tessa Quayle was based on famous social activist and charity worker Yvette Pierpaoli, who was killed in 1999 with two other social workers when their truck crashed in Albania. The book was written in her memory.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Computer monitors do not produce focused images.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Justin Quayle: Oh, thank you Arnold. I... I can manage that. But I still don't see why you couldn't wait a couple of weeks. Why go all the way up to Loki?
Tessa Quayle: Well, we want to hear Grace Makanga speak, and she won't be coming to Nairobi.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "60 Minutes: High Jinks/The Venom Hunters/The Dame (#29.2)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

So Sei Viver No Samba

Political thriller viewed through the lens of a romance

Films that are written as thrillers, suspense stories and romances all feature certain story elements that define the genre. How the elements are combined to tell a specific story is the measure of a story's success at convincing an audience of its worth. "The Constant Gardener" is a well-crafted story with many fine performances, starting with Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz, and including the many character actors who make this film feel viscerally real and true. In the tradition of films like "Silkwood", "Z" and" The Insider", the director of "City of God" takes the audience on a tense, suspenseful ride with characters who dare tell truth to power. The film viewing experience feels dangerous and worth-while.

No doubt, "The Constant Gardener", like "City of God" will fuel discussion about the politics which is the basis of this film, and will also send more people to read John Le Carre's book, which is the basis of the film.