 THE CONSTANT GARDENERMPAA Rating:
 for language, some violent images and sexual content/nudityReviewed by: Jonathan Wooten Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
 ½ Primary Audience:
Adults
Genre:
Drama, Thriller
Year of Release:
2005
      Relevant Issues
Why is the world the way it is? (filled with oppression, suffering, death and cruelty?) If God is all-knowing, all-powerful and loving, would he really create a world like this? Answer Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? Answer How did bad things come about? Answer Where did diseases like cancer come from? Answer What was Adam, the first man, really like? Learn the amazing facts about this unique man from whom we all descended! And see why the First Adam needed the Last Adam. Answer What about the issue of suffering? Doesn’t this prove that there is no God and that we are on our own? Answer Does God feel our pain? Answer  
Love at any cost. Producer’s Synopsis: “Based on the best-selling John le Carre novel, in a remote area of Northern Kenya, activist Tessa Quayle (Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Tessa’s companion, a doctor (Kounde), 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 (Fiennes), will leave the matter to them. The Constant Gardener wants us to think. Think about the world outside our backyard. AIDS ravaged Africa to be specific. Given the third world location and the film’s director Fernando Meirelles (City of God) one might expect a story set in gritty trenches. This is not the realm of Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) though, a British diplomat living in Kenya. He is a stiff servant of the Empire who prefers to keep his hands clean (except when tending his garden, get it?). His wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) could not be more different. She is a political radical and a thorn in the side of the government that employs her husband. Within the first five minutes of the film she makes one too many enemies and is found murdered. The story then unfolds in a series of flashbacks blended seamlessly with Justin’s grieving and eventual search for the killers. We learn of conspiracy theories Tessa had involving drug manufacturers and assorted governments. We also catch glimpses of the couples strained “marriage of convenience” (Fiennes and Weisz happen to display little on screen chemistry and therefore are well cast). The film also starts out quite cold with de-saturated colors and clinical dialogue but eventually does become vibrant as the once dull Justin is transformed into a swashbuckling crusader for the truth. The Constant Gardener does a very good job of showing how we live in a fallen world where corruption and greed are possible even in humanitarian organizations. In the film politicians turn a blind eye to a drug company’s crimes in exchange for the construction of a plant in their local district. While it is a work of fiction the filmmakers do manage to point fingers at American and British foreign policies. It does get a bit preachy at times but I do give them credit for trying to remind us that we are responsible for our government’s actions and non-actions. It is tempting though to question the true intentions of the author (novelist John Le Carre') and filmmakers. Did they think that the African AIDS crisis would get more exposure if its images were delivered in a slick political thriller? Or did they simply want to class up a run of the mill story of international intrigue by shoehorning in a socially conscious topic? Perhaps it was a little bit of both. Real images of the devastation brought on by poverty and AIDS are included, but unfortunately we don’t get to know the victims in much depth. The African people are used mostly as exotic set dressings or to trigger an emotional response from the audience. In spite of its faults though the film has a heart and is well crafted so I recommend it. The subject matter is timely and deserves a spotlight (sub-Saharan Africa has just over 10% of the world’s population, but is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV). More importantly it deserves action.
(Possible objectionable content: Moderate profanity, brief female nudity, some violence, graphic hospital images) See list of Relevant Issues — questions-and-answers. Year of Release — 2005 / USA release: August 31, 2005 (wide).  Positive Negative - This movie was filled with great actors, excellent
cinematography and production; however, it displayed far more nudity than
was necessary, and in fact, one of the earliest scenes enfolds with two
main characters first meeting and immediately engaging in sexual activity.
The movie intially presents a woman as wanton and unchaste, who
prostitutes herself for “worldly” good causes. Her life is her
work and she keeps secrets from her husband. This ultimately leads to her
own death, then subsequently his, as he seeks to unravel the mystery behind
the woman he was married to, but really didn’t entirely know. Positive - I’m surprised to see that more people haven’t given this a positive. Although the story itself is not upbeat and positive, there is much to learn from it. I suppose this is why I liked it. I like movies that engage you and that are suspenseful, and this one was both. I do agree that we could have done without the sex and the bad language, but that’s Hollywood. And actually it wasn’t as bad as other movies. It’s not an entertainment movie, but rather a movie that forces you to realize that communication, honesty and integrity are vital in our lives. Without them we destroy ourselves and those we love. Positive - I thought this movie was beautiful. A true work of art and a love story with a conscience. I by no means am a supporter of many of the characters' points of view on politics, morals, or the world in general, but I can agree to disagree, and move on. It is a fact that many people I encounter in my daily life (even within my own family) have differing ideas than mine, and I would be a very unhappy person if I didn’t learn to accept that fact. It certainly doesn’t mean I lower my standards, it just means I am realistic about life and people. I will never reach a single person for Christ if I live in a self-righteous bubble and do not allow myself any contact with people or ideas unlike mine. The world will never be impacted if all the Christians stay away from the world. Positive - …This movie is nothing more than showing love for innocent people who are dying in the hands of corrupt politicians. Jesus commands us to love God and to love other people. There is nothing more important on this earth than doing that. Jesus didn’t play the political game. Are we letting politics cloud our faith? …The important message in this movie is that people matter…ALL PEOPLE. …I highly recommend this movie for it’s message. It promotes the gospel message of Jesus Christ—to love people (no matter their faith or skin color or country of origin) and help those in need. Watch this movie, and put yourself in the role of the main characters…what would you do? Would you sit by and watch people suffer, or stand up and try to do something about it? I would hope that Christians would stand up and fight back, just as the characters in the movie did.… This movie is also good at pointing out how corruption is possible. We as Christians can take that point in the movie, and pray for those that are corrupt to see the pure love of Jesus. Because as much as we want to believe we live in a utopia (here in America), corruption happens. Closing our eyes doesn’t make it not so. But God knows, and praying about is the most powerful thing we can do. Positive - …This film is not anti-America or anti-West, it is anti-GREED! …In the film, the characters acknowledge that there are too many needy people out there, and that we can’t help all of them, but we’d best be vigilant, otherwise we might miss that rare opportunity when we actually CAN help somebody. I can’t imagine that any true follower of Christ would disagree with that sentiment. Neutral Neutral - This is a quite a well-produced movie, with almost a documentary dimension to the footage of African villages and circumstances. However, it is grim. Unlike polished Hollywood thrillers, there is no happy ending to this one. Certain scenes are actually difficult to watch, and I almost left. Neutral - …a film that will appeal to those who enjoy mystery/suspense thrillers. The storyline focuses around the murder of a female activist/aid worker (Tessa Quayle) in Africa, and her diplomat husband Justin’s attempt to discover the true circumstances surrounding her death. Unaware of the secret nature of her work, Justin suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself caught in the crossfire of a multi-Billion dollar international conspiracy and cover-up over the secret testing of experimental drugs on marginalized populations in Africa.
—Bob Smiciklas, age 39 Negative Negative - …a movie tailor made for Kofi Anon and Al Gore, not to mention the rest of their liberal entourage. …we hear the opening remarks of the co-star of the movie Rachel Wiez scream about how “stupid” the White House is, how the Iraq War is about oil and how about terrible the British Government is for being apart of such a terrible unrighteous slaughter of innocent people in Iraq. Sadly this is how the two stars begin their romance. Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weiz meet by Fiennes hailing her as a heroic person with such conviction and how he admires her desire to see justice served. Comments from young people Positive - This movie is absolutely amazing! Reason being is that no matter how much the Left wants to accept it as a Liberal film and some of the Right want to reject it as liberal nonsense, the reality is that this movie is neither. This movie is simply an exercise in trying to open people’s eyes. It does show drug companies as being somewhat greedy and allowing unstable drugs to be tested on the people of Africa who seem “disposable.” But, the truth is the truth and sometimes it forces all of us to see what we don’t want to. Movie Critics
“…If your politics lean left of center, you’ll love this movie. …” “…one of the year’s best films…” “…The movie is smart, serious, and adult about something that matters…” “…slow-burning thriller defies strict genre conventions…” “…smart thriller…captures the chaotic quality of contemporary politics…” “…often talky, Euro-centric tale of betrayal, venality and corporate malfeasance…” “…Intelligent thriller…sentimental, rousing and convicting… This is a message movie first and foremost, but it injects its agenda smoothly…” |
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