The Constant Gardener

This movie has been on my Netflix list for a while. That may be a trend for the next few posts. I have a lot of free time and while these movies may not be fleeting availability like some of the previous movies, I still need to take these movies off my list.

The movie follows the story of Ralph Fiennes's character, Justin Quayle, a British diplomat that is working in Kenya. At the very beginning of the movie he is informed that his wife (played by Rachael  Weisz) is dead and he soon discovers that she was murdered. As he digs deeper in the circumstances of her murder, he figures out there's something bigger.

The first hour of the movie is done in flashbacks, showing how Fiennes and Weisz met and how they ended up in Africa.

It really gives a great look into the characters and their personalities.

Ralph Fiennes had me from the very beginning because he's an incredibly complicated character. He's not a violent guy at all, he's very kind and loving and just kind of a nerdy guy. Throughout the movie you can see that gardening is his destressor and there are just scenes where he's just kind of a dork. He's not the most charismatic person and yet he finds Rachael Weisz's character and falls head over heels in love with her.

The first hour of this movie also shows the building of the relationship between these two and makes it all the more tragic when Rachael Weisz's character is killed.

Like I said, from that Justin (Fiennes) starts investigating what his wife was investigating and what may have caused her to be killed.

When I said that Justin is not a violent person, I mean it. He gets a gun at one point and never actually uses it. This is not an action movie at all. Its a drama thriller that really delves into the politics of Africa.

There's a line in the movie that basically sums up the over arching theme throughout the movie, "This is how the West screws over Africa". Its very pertinent to the entire story with almost every element. That's probably why this movie was such a big hit when it came out in 2005.

But is it a good movie?

In a lot of ways, yes. The characters are brilliantly explained and developed. The ones you love you really do enjoy and the ones you hate you love to hate.

Ralph Fiennes did a phenomenal job at this mild mannered British guy who is dealing with the loss of the love of his life and yet still has to maneuver through a world of conspiracy and cover ups. Throughout the movie, Fiennes has a transformation from a pacifist unwilling to get involved to someone who actually gives a damn, and he gets it mostly from his wife, Weisz.

Weisz on the other hand is just a spitfire. She's so passionate about helping people. She is charismatic, she is not mild mannered at all. If something is bothering her, she'll say it. The two contrast each other perfectly and create a really great couple. Which you want it in a good romance, especially one they develop for a good hour.

And I guess that brings me up to the only real complaint I had about this movie. Its really slow!

I'm not saying this is a totally bad thing but for a two hour long movie it was very dry and had I not been determined to watch this movie, and not as drawn in, I would have fallen asleep.

I'm not at all saying that the movie needs to have more action cause the movie was fine without it. I'm just giving you all a warning that this movie is a full fledged drama. Its a fascinating concept but if you get bored watching a movie with no action at all, this is not your movie.

Its a fantastic story though and drama movie lovers will absolutely love The Constant Gardner.

I did have a little bit of trouble distinguishing Fiennes from other characters he's played at the start but not for long. He's a great actor and I don't think he should be limited to only being known for being Lord Voldemort.

So overall, The Constant Gardner was a fantastic drama. Very long and dry but a good drama and great character development.

Have you seen The Constant Gardner? What did you think? Leave your comments below.

I'll leave you with this. The next Fiennes movie I want to see, the trailer looks hilarious. Let me know who you think.