The Observer, September 9, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2
Constant Gardener proves thrilling
As an avid moviegoer who supports the big screen as a mass medium for free social and/or political expression, I was soon invested in the poignant message illustrated by Fernando Meirelles' adapted screenplay, The Constant Gardener. Meirelles (City of God) is a director blessed with the cinematic genius to captivate and inspire his audience. If the viewer can withstand the head-spinning induced by his sometimes frantic and blurred frame transitioning, I think she or he will appreciate Meirelles' racy dramatization of a pharmaceutical company's unethical intent to profit from its flawed miracle drug.
Swiss-Canadian pharmaceutical company KDH, backed with Her Majesty's vested financial interest, tests its so-called remedy for tuberculosis on the disease-stricken natives of the northern Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Not long after the drug's release, it is discovered that the drug has several adverse effects, leaving many Kenyan natives severely crippled or dead. Instead of going back to formula, KDH continues to maliciously test its poison on the infected Kenyans and at the same time concealing the victims beneath the African soil. In the wake of the greed, deception, and murder enveloping the city of Nairobi, two idealist heroes, Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz) and Dr. Arnold Bluhm (Hubert Koundé), discover that a corrupt power has overtaken the Kenyan people and pursue their noble cause to unveil the inhumane conspiracy of KDH and its investors.
The film most likely gets its title from the fact that Tessa's husband, Justin Quayle(Raph Fiennes) – an aloof English diplomat – spends nearly all of his leisure time tending to his garden. It is not until Tessa and her colleague Arnold are both brutally murdered that Justin is compelled to follow the blood trail back to the heart of Kenya and discover the truth behind his wife's death.
If you're a sucker for provocative, well-directed, romantically-charged, suspense-packed films, then The Constant Gardener is a must-see. I would recommend arriving a little ahead of time and finding an ideal seat that affords comfort and visibility since you'll be held captivate for the next two hours.
