A preachy but gripping sociopolitical thriller, The Constant Gardener captures the parched beauty of African desert nations—while also personifying the horrors of poverty in dusty, sunburned detail—and pulls no punches in its view of greedy drug companies that feign altruism but view encroaching epidemics as lucrative boons for their stockholders. Based on the John Le Carré novel of the same name, the film's politics are couched in a brutal and twist-filled murder mystery: Ralph Fiennes plays a dry, charmingly wonky English diplomat whose eye-catching young wife (Rachel Weisz)—an impetuous, impassioned human rights activist—is killed and mutilated while on an aid mission. Directed by Fernando Meirelles with the same unblinking, sweaty, ground-level grittiness he brought to City of God—his brilliant cinema vérité-like exposé of Brazilian poverty—the film serves up an incredible puzzle of far-flung pieces and palpable danger, while tapping intimate moments from the couple's marriage (both romantic and contentious), creating a tender, human driving force for Fiennes' determination. Like The China Syndrome, Silkwood and The Insider, this is a political thriller in the best sense of the term—a nail-biter with a meaty subject. Recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include the 12-minute behind-the-scenes featurette “Anatomy of a Global Thriller,” 11 minutes of deleted scenes, a 10-minute extended scene, the 10-minute featurette “Embracing Africa: Filming in Kenya,” the eight-minute featurette “John Le Carré: From Page to the Screen” (8 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for one of 2005's most highly regarded films.] (R. Blackwelder)
The Constant Gardener
Focus, 129 min., R, VHS or DVD: $29.99, Jan. 10 Volume 21, Issue 1
The Constant Gardener
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