Canofceleri Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Review by me. “The Constant Gardner” is a film in which its motives can possibly be questioned, but not its greatness. Based on the John le Carré novel of the same name, “The Constant Gardner” is not merely a political statement, but a study of humanity. No matter how epic its scale, or how convoluted it might seem to some, there’s always a very human connection that keeps its viewers engaged. Ralph Fiennes (“The English Patient”) plays as Justin Quayle, a member of the British High Commission, whose wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz), unbeknownst to him, is an activist working to uncover a scandal involving a pharmaceutical company’s testing of an experimental new drug on a population of unknowing villagers in an African slum. Presumably, Tessa kept her ambitions from Justin to protect him, so when she shows up dead in Northern Kenya he doesn’t know why. What ensues is Justin’s hunt for the truth. At first fueled by suspicions of infidelity, he soon finds himself struggling to keep alive just long enough to understand how deep his wife’s secret life ran. Fernando Meirelles awed us with his crime epic “City of God” in 2003, and here he proves himself as one of the most promising directors working in cinema today. His smart move was keeping cinematographer César Charlone on board, the photography in this film is simply gorgeous and keeps us engaged. The film editing is not as urgent as in “City of God”, but what’s done is appropriate for the film and still some creative cuts are made. Meirelles guided a wonderful cast. Ralph Fiennes, I am convinced, is one of the best actors of his generation and can hold the screen with a glance. He’s patient and gives a nuanced performance alongside Rachel Weisz, whose passion seems to burn through the celluloid. But all in all, I think it comes back to Meirelles. The pressure of having to follow-up a monster film like “City of God”, that just reeked havoc and turned the international film scene on its head, must be unimaginable. But he shows what most American auteurs simply don’t, and that’s restraint. He doesn’t even attempt to top “City of God”, that would surely spell disaster. Instead he delivers a solid, no, astounding work that transcends Summer-flick-fluff and is truly about something ***** out of Five Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antinark Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Yeah this movie is getting rave reviews all over the place. I can't wait to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brown Streak RR Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Yeah this movie is getting rave reviews all over the place. I can't wait to see it. Ditto. The trailer looked appealing, very action filled, but not so much like xXx and the Transporter types where stuff is constantly blowing up. I'm anxious to check it out. I thought the name at first was stupid, but I get it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PresidentKiller Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 I watched the trailer at CNN.com the other day. It looks really cool. I have to watch it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Bear Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 I've been looking forward to this for a long time, can't wait to see it. Unfortunately, I haven't had a car in months, so I haven't been able to see many movies in the theatre lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienLX Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 I've been waiting for this a while now, so I'm looking forward to seeing it soon. Looks like a solid movie and I'm a big fan of Rachel Weisz. Hopefully I can get around to it this Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghetto Prince Posted September 14, 2005 Share Posted September 14, 2005 Well, how was it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canofceleri Posted September 17, 2005 Author Share Posted September 17, 2005 Well, how was it? Read my posted review, you fucking idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghetto Prince Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Well, I didn't know you had posted a review, and maybe I wanted more opinions than just yours. In any event, I went to see it myself and I didn't like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taste Of Chaos Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 you f*cking idiot. how did that whole f*ck slip through without the * coming in? in candarrelli's post Opportunity knocks once in a lifetime, temptation will lean on the doorbell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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