Constant Gardener, The (2005)

Parts of Africa are nothing short of hell on earth. The citizens are impoverished, accompanied by constant famines, genocide, and a growing epidemic of HIV.  Though solutions are being implemented to stop the spread of the virus, businesses are looking to shamelessly profit off the sufferings of millions.  The Constant Gardner is willing to take no hostages in its crusade to expose the heartless actions of two companies.  As a wake-up call, its nothing short of compelling in a series of movies willing to tackle these humanitarian issues.  As entertainment, I cannot exactly say the same.  The two stories, one of a relationship and the other of a political thriller, appear in opposition of each other.

In the immortal words of Agent Mulder, the truth is out there.  And this is exactly what British diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) is looking for, after he discovers his wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) and her driver Arnold brutally gunned down.  This is no easy task, as there are many questions he needs answered.  Why did his wife want to come to Africa?  What did she find?  Who killed her and why?  But perhaps most importantly, what kind of person was his wife really?

The first act of the film is essentially a flashback, starting with the discovery of his wife and her best friend at a local hospital.  Why it chooses this method, I’m not entirely sure.  I would hypothesize that it’s intentions are to put more importance and the effects her death has on Justin.  Though they were married, Justin did not exactly know his wife.  While she would speak her mind without ever worrying of the consequences, her work was always a secret from him. 

First off, before we address the heart of the film I would just like to say that more and more, I am starting to become exhausted by the obvious use of digital cameras in movies today.  It's become an excuse for directors to just begin shaking the camera without moderation to make the audience feel like the events unfolding are actually happening around them.  In horror films, the uneasy camera is done with calculation, where slight movements can suggest another presence.  There, its mild imperfections suggest realism, and the occasional shaking provides a sense of tension.  I am not saying that there isn’t some method to the madness in The Constant Gardener’s camera techniques and even some effectiveness with jittery shots and choppy cuts, but in all honesty, I just wish directors would get off the band wagon.

Ralph Fiennes continues to impress me.  As an actor of considerable talent, he brings a strong confliction to the picture.  He is so effective that he does not need dialogue to spell his emotions out.  In a moment where he visits his wife's home, he begins pacing back and forth and we can just imagine the chaotic torture he must be trying to process.  Rachel Weisz nails her role; she is blunt, passionate, and without restraint.  These two understand their roles perfectly, perhaps to a point where the director may rely on them for things the screenplay should provide.

Though I do not consider love as something one could describe as logical, consider the absurdity of Justin and Tessa's relationship for a moment.  When they first meet, Justin is giving a lecture on diplomacy where Tessa begins to heavily criticize the notion of diplomacy in a country involved in the Iraqi conflict.  He is an official, and yet whenever he brings his wife around his colleagues and occupational acquaintances, she attacks the very men he needs to work with, leaving him throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.  Then there are the constant secrets she hides from, accompanied by rumors of an affair with her driver after her death, and not once does he seem to ever consider the obvious notion that she might have simply been using Justin for her own agenda.  But for him to consider that might stop his conquest and the movie all together.

As a thriller, it doesn’t exactly operate the way a thriller should.  The good guys usually stumble into the plans of the bad guys, and the bad guys will do everything in their power to prevent the truth from ever getting out, using fear or even killing if need be.  Though told repeatedly not to follow his wife’s footsteps, he goes into hiding and does so anyways.  When caught, he is given a slap on the wrist.  He is beat up pretty bad, and then told it is his last warning.  Does this not sound silly to anyone else?  The bad guys have a clear shot for a kill and do not take it, as though these villains are now capable of mercy.  As a public figure, Justin could’ve simply walked in front of a camera bruised in front of the world, casting a light in the direction where his opponents do not want it, but he doesn’t do that either. 

Out of nowhere, a few people on the opposite side come to his aid, out of belated pity.  Finally, when he has found out everything he wanted and knows men are coming to kill him, he does little to resist his fate. The director wants to hail this decision as one of principle and sacrifice, but it is one of surrender and dare I say it, insanity, especially considering he knows very well he could be viciously tortured before dying.  While I respect this film a great deal, my praise is still very critical in part because the issues the film wants to fight are undermined by the very story and characters.

Final

There have been a great number of films on Africa recently.  Hotel Rwanda and The Interpreter both dared to make more noise out of the genocide, because nobody in the United States seems to care a great deal.  We need more films like these, demanding attention and outrage for the state of the world.  However, we need the films to excite the audience, the way The Interpreter did because it not only exposed the issue of genocide, but was fascinating with its plot of political intrigue and attempted assassination.  The Constant Gardener will till up passions on the social issues surrounding the plot, but the plot itself lies in fallow earth.