Netsua.com

Despite the title, this is actually a very exciting and engaging movie. “The Constant Gardener” starts out as a love story, and ends somewhat as a “spy movie” - a thriller but most of it takes place in Africa. It’s really a mix of genres…

Starring Ralph Fiennes as the main character Justin, and Rachel Weisz as his wife Tessa who (this isn’t really a plot spoiler because the whole movie is based around it) is killed at the beginning. The story is then told flashing back to Tessa before you died, how Justin and Tessa met, and of course - what they are doing in Africa. It’s unclear of Justin’s business, but Tessa’s has to do with researching a drug company that she and other suspect of “testing” their HIV patients in Africa - testing in a bad way that might involve death. Tessa couldn’t tell Justin much about any of this, top secret classifed things. Then she was killed. So the rest of the movie is Justin running around Africa, London and other places trying to find out who killed his wife, and prove that these companies are evil.

What’s amazing is it’s not Mission: Impossible spy-gadget-gear-jumping-off-buildings type of mystery-thriller - but much of it takes place in Africa and it’s almost like a documentary. It takes you into the heart of poor towns in Kenya, with the HIV and AIDS all around, innocent kids - very skinny kids. It’s a great view of Africa that makes you want to go there.

Ralph Fiennes does a pretty good job in his role, his coping with his wife’s death, etc. and Rachel Weisz is even better. Even though she’s dead about 30 seconds into the movie, she is the star of the first third of the movie through flashbacks, and she does a very good job. The other characters are fairly minor, but also very good actors.

What makes this movie so amazing is it’s way of blending numerous genres into one movie that just WORKS. Unlike “The New World” it’s interesting, and pretty fast moving. The story is engaging and keeps you watching. I have to admit though, it does drag on a little bit in the end at 2 hours and 9 minutes, which doesn’t seem like that much so I was probably just tired.

There’s not much more that I have to say about this except that it was very well directed by Fernando Meirelles and has style and is just an overall very good movie.

9/10