Five out of
Five stars
Running time:
129 mins
Opens London Film Festival:
19th October
General release:
11th November
Fernando Meirelles’ brilliant follow-up to City of God is a strong Oscar
contender and the perfect opening film for the London Film Festival.
The Background
Oscar-nominated Brazilian director, Fernando Meirelles proves that his
stunning debut
City of God was no fluke with his follow-up film The Constant
Gardener, adapted from the novel by John Le Carré. The film has been
deservedly chosen as the opening night gala for The Times BFI 49th London
Film Festival.
The Story
Ralph Fiennes stars as Justin Quayle, a green-fingered British diplomat
assigned to Kenya. When his activist wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) is murdered,
he sets out to investigate her death and finds more than he bargained for.
As he gets closer to the truth, Quayle’s friends and colleagues warn him to stop digging but he ignores them, with
potentially dangerous consequences.
The Good
The Constant Gardener is that rare film which fires on all cylinders. The
direction, writing, photography, editing and acting are all exceptional. The
script works as both a romance and a thriller whilst delivering an important
political message that doesn’t pull any punches.
It’s also beautifully shot
by cinematographer César Charlone and brilliantly edited by Claire Simpson,
who assembles the complex, multi-layered story out of sequence in order to
deliver maximum emotional impact.
The Great
The performances are superb. Fiennes makes an engaging lead and his
character’s transformation from an unassuming public servant to a crusader
for justice is thoroughly believable. Weisz delivers what is perhaps her
best screen performance to date; her relationship with Fiennes is complex
and genuinely affecting.
There’s also terrific support from the
always-reliable Danny Huston (excelling himself as Quayle’s sleazy friend
and colleague Sandy Woodrow). Don’t be surprised if Weisz, Fiennes and Huston all end
up with Academy Award nominations, come Oscar time.
The Conclusion
In short, The Constant Gardener is a powerful, gripping, brilliantly acted and superbly
directed thriller that’s extremely moving and delivers an important
political message. Highly recommended.
Film Trailer
The Constant Gardener (15)