Just a short review, for those who are thinking of watching this film. Like most , The Constant Gardener unfolds like a cat stretching, indulging itself in its scenery, its actors and most of all, its socio-political commentary. Its languid pacing is as deliberate and controlled as the exceedingly civilized diplomat that Ralph Fiennes plays. I won’t bother commenting on things I know nothing about, so let’s just say this movie does a lot to open its viewers’ collective eyes on what’s going on in the dark continent.
What struck me about The Constant Gardener is that director Fernando Meirelles seems to care more about the journey than the actual destination. We already know halfway through the second act that the evil pharmaceutical corporations are using Africa as their testing grounds for new drugs, but it takes Fiennes’ character an entire other hour to put the pieces together. But I suppose, the mystery here wasn’t really the point.
It’s a contemplative kind of story, beautifully shot in gloriously-grained film. We see the African shanties in brilliant, high-contrast color, set against an impossibly blue sky. The sun blazes and the music swells like its coming right out of the ground that the characters are standing on. It’s not the sort of thing you’ll want to see with a large group of friends, but it’s great for an intimate post-game kind of analysis.