The Constant Gardener (2005)

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

Director:

Fernando Meirelles

Writers:

Jeffrey Caine (screenplay), John le Carré (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston

Won 1 Oscar. Another 35 wins & 68 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Fiennes	...	Justin Quayle
Rachel Weisz	...	Tessa Quayle
Hubert Koundé	...	Dr. Arnold Bluhm (as Hubert Kounde)
Danny Huston	...	Sandy Woodrow
Daniele Harford	...	Miriam
Packson Ngugi	...	Officer in Morgue
Damaris Itenyo Agweyu	...	Jomo's Wife
Bernard Otieno Oduor	...	Jomo
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
Gerard McSorley	...	Sir Kenneth Curtiss

Storyline

In a remote area of Northern Kenya, activist Tessa Quayle is found brutally murdered. Tessa's companion, a doctor, appears to have fled the scene, and the evidence points to a crime of passion. Members of the British High Commission in Nairobi assume that Tessa's widower, their mild-mannered and unambitious colleague Justin Quayle, will leave the matter to them. They could not be more wrong. Haunted by remorse and jarred by rumors of his late wife's infidelities, Quayle surprises everyone by embarking on a personal odyssey that will take him across three continents. Using his privileged access to diplomatic secrets, he will risk his own life, stopping at nothing to uncover and expose the truth - a conspiracy more far-reaching and deadly than Quayle could ever have imagined.

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Plot Keywords:

government corruption | conspiracy | pharmaceuticals | female rear nudity | cleavage | 

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Taglines:

Love. At any cost.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Production Notes

Country:

UK Germany USA China Kenya

Language:

English Italian Swahili German

Release Date:

31 August 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

El jardinero fiel

Filming Locations:

Loiyangalani, Lake Turkana, Kenya

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,577,000, 4 September 2005

Gross USA:

$33,579,797

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$82,466,670

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, UK Film Council, Potboiler Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (as dts) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The filmmakers installed water tanks, a new bridge and a classroom in Kibera, the slum in which the film was shot. They also built a secondary school in the desert of northern Kenya where the final scenes were photographed.

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Goofs

Arthur Hammond would not be allowed to accompany Justin to the Eurostar train. Eurostar has an airline-style check-in procedure, and only passengers holding tickets can reach the platforms.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

END CREDITS DISCLAIMER: Nobody in this story, and no outfit or corporation, thank God, is based upon an actual person or outfit in the real world. But I can tell you this; as my journey through the pharmaceutical jungle progressed, I came to realize that, by comparison with the reality, my story was as tame as a holiday postcard. --John Le Carré

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of Our Kind of Traitor (2016)

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Soundtracks

So Sei Viver No Samba
Written by Ari Moraes
Performed by Cibelle
Published by Les Editions De La Bascule / Strictly Confidential (BMI)
Under license from Ziriguiboom / Crammed Discs
Courtesy of Six Degrees Records
By Arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

Intelligent drama plenty of suspense,intrigue ,moving and sensational performances

The film concerns about an obstinate and mild-mannered widow named Justin Quayle(Ralph Fiennes),the constant gardener,,he must discover the wife 's death named Tess(Rachel Weisz).She appeared in the lagoon Turkana(location of human being's origin) at a remote zone of Northern Kenya.Tessa'companion,an African medic named Blum,he has fled and is the prime suspect.Quayle helped by his friend Sandy Woodrow(Danny Huston), embarks in a dangerous journey which will take various countries risking his own life and confronting against nasties and powerful pharmacy company ruled by magnate named Pellegrin( Bill Nighy)in charge of delivering vaccine AID,HIV positive into African continent .Meanwhile he memorizes records with Tessa,their lovely relationship by means of continuous flashbacks.He investigates a powerful corporation called CEO, a conspiracy by strange British High Commission and the wrongfully practices and corrupts business of the billionaire pharmaceutical enterprises in third world.

The picture based on John Le Carre novel displays emotion,thriller,suspense and thought-provoking drama. Although sometimes is slow moving,however is developed with sensibility and intelligence but are narrated ethics,moral issues with great sense of ductility ,besides a sour politic critical about the unjust practices of pharmaceutical industry .The tale is supposedly to take place in Kenya ,instead of in South Africa where most part of the production is placed.Exceptional performances for all casting with special mention for two main actors: Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.She's actually pregnant in a nudism scenes.She won Oscar Academy Award for best acting by an actress in a supporting role.Fernando Mereilles won Alma Award by outstanding director of a motion picture.Evocative,sensible music for nominated Alberto Iglesias(Pedro Almodovar's usual musician) and appropriately cinematography by Cesar Charlone(Merielles' habitual cameraman).Direction by Fernando Mereilles(Oscar winner by City of God,an unflinching portrayal at the underbelly of Rio Janeiro)) is awesome and stylish .The flick will like to denounce-drama enthusiastic and Fiennes and Weisz fans.Rating: Above average.