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Showing reviews from 1 to 50 (total: 95)
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An exceptional love story, the cinematography is breathtaking and of course Weisz & Fiennes are perfect.
9/10
6.8.2007 -
reverendeltonjones@ - age: 50+
A strong subject matter that is both well told and acted.
9/10
15.6.2007 -
cfh_trendkill@ - age: 26-35
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The way they shoot the scenes in africa is terrific. A good script that jumps a bit back and forth in time... good good.
9/10
20.9.2006 -
tsferg@ - age: 26-35
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An excellent movie. Nothing from the beginning is as it seems. And overall a great message driven home.
9/10
28.5.2006 -
cliffa@ - age: 36-49
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This movie was awful. They should have called it Constant Boredom.
1/10
10.3.2006 -
crooker41@ - age: 36-49
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Took a while to get going but turned out to be a good movie in the end. Ralph Fiennes is excellent as always. The camera work was a bit shaky at times making me dizzy. Africa is so beautiful and at the same time, very tragic.
7/10
23.2.2006 -
cookroad@ - age: 36-49
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Seemed like a good movie, but you kept anticipating more--and the film just did not deliver. One of these films that just needed one or two more revisions of the script, or would better editing have helped. In places it lost momentum or was vague (not intentionally) or floundered for direction. The acting was good, the idea intreguing, setting interesting, worth seeing on the whole.
6/10
18.2.2006 -
judyedleman@ - age: 50+
Excellent story - as close to the truth as one can get using fiction!! The acting was on point and the cinematography was amazing! Loved it, will see it again and own it on dvd.
9/10
17.1.2006 -
teekay71@ - age: 26-35
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I had little inclination before The Constant Gardener's 2005 Golden Globe Nomination for Best Dramatic Motion Picture to see this film at all. In a year full of big action blockbusters, that were for the most part busts, nobody seemed to have time for the little guys. Movies like the Constant Gardener are one of the reasons that 2005 wasn't as bleak a year as people think it was. John Le Carre, who wrote the novel that the film is based on, has crafted many popular spy novels, and is one of the many hidden gems in the piles of literature lounging around the shelves at Indigo or Chapters. It's great to see his novel taken so seriously, and adapted by someone who has such great understanding not only of screen writing, but of Le Carre's original material. He does such a fantastic job adapting the book, one barely realizes he or she is watching a movie, as they get totally sucked into the rich and seductive story. Many kudos to director Fernando Meilles as well for defying the many Hollywood conventions in thrillers like this one, going big and bold with his photography and the way he cuts the whole thing together. The story, while complicated, is told quite simply, and is comprehendable, even to the very dim-witted. While the story and subject matter of the film are the obvious reasons to check this movie out, one of the many surprises along the way is the work of actors Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz, who are very respectable actors, but have never done anything quite this good. They slip past the realm of acting and become these intriguing characters they play, and it becomes a real fun time watching these guys unravel the mystery and cover-ups behind a murder most foul, and a conspiracy involving pharmaceutical companies using Africans as guinea pigs. The material is actually quite intriguing and relevant in this modern world of ours, and the movie, unlike so many others this year, actually sends a message to the audience. Constant Gardener is a terrific film, paced badly at rare intervals, but beautifully shot and cut, and a definite top 10 of 2005.
9/10
17.1.2006 -
the_crazycanuck@ - age: 13-17
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A truly inspiring film at many levels: beautiful camara work, a moving story-line and excellent acting. The end was very touching!
8/10
15.1.2006 -
angberr@ - age: 36-49
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Excellent thought provoking movie.
9/10
13.1.2006 -
beau@ - age: 36-49
It was horrible and very very dry. Nothing quite interesting, almost no plot. If you want to see something better, watch paint dry.
1/10
12.1.2006 -
finkle_frankie@ - age: 36-49
You can't move from your seat since the first five minutes. Impressing acting from Rachel and Ralph!!
8/10
9.1.2006 -
gloriasotosantos@ - age: 26-35
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[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
Just because you are paranoid, doesnt mean that nobody is out to get you. And that just about sums up the situation of Justin, the constant gardener and a low level diplomat with the British government. He has good reason to fear that he is being followed. Of course, in the beginning of the story, not in the beginning of the movie, but in the beginning of his story - that is, when after a quickie romance in London, Tessa invites herself along to his posting in Africa - he believes that he is in control. He is, but only in his garden. He seems to believe that what he doesnt control, others do, and in an effective fashion. He chooses to believe that the British government agencies take excellent care of the suffering people in Africa. Thats what he insists when Tessa wants to give a mother and her two grandchildren a ride in their Jeep. Justin says they cant save everybody; Tessa agrees, but says they can help three people. Justin, who is actually a kindly and benign man, refuses to pick them up and the three (one of whom is a newborn whose mother has died in childbirth) are left to fight the harsh landscape on the forty kilometre walk to their village. This story is told in fragments and flashbacks, and it is revealed almost immediately that Tessa has been murdered. It the n unravels that this was to prevent her from delving deeper into the wrong-doings of the British government and their pharmaceutical company co-conspirators. Justin leaves the protection of his garden (the Garden of Eden, where all is perfect? ) to uncover the truth of her murder. In order to further protect him, Tessa, a bright and energetic young activist, has kept her investigations secret. Justins re-education is complete, and the story comes full circle, when he desperately, though unsuccessfully, tries to bribe a UN helicopter pilot to save a child. The fate of this particular child is unknown, though it is suggested that with any luck shell be able to walk to a refugee camp several hundred kilometres away. (The correctness of this action of the UN employee is not in question here. Something to think about, though. ) There is a bit of everything in this movie: suspense, drama, incredible scenery, local colour and music,... excellent acting (Ralph Fiennes is wonderful), a kaleidoscope of light and movement, a taut script,... And truth. This is fiction writing in the finest tradition of John Le Carré. But it is a thriller with a twist. Le Carré has fictionalized the suffering of the African peoples at the hands of the brutal local bandits and, as if that isnt bad enough, by the outsiders who are supposedly there to help them. The Africans are victimized on all sides. In brief, in The Constant Gardener, pharmaceutical companies exploit the citizens of Third World countries. Along with their free health care and AIDS education, the poor and uneducated are given vaccines, which have not yet been approved for testing on humans. Accepted pre-trial protocols have not been followed. Can you spell guinea pig? Can you spell scandalous? Its a package deal, and if the patients refuse the test vaccination, all health care is cut off. Neat, eh? Oh, and if a few patients die from the vaccine, cover-up is simple. Erase the records and dump the bodies. The victims never existed so how could they possibly have died from the vaccines? So, records get fudged and the drug companies (tempting to refer to them as drug lords) make obscene profits. Human lives in the Third World are expendable. One more dead African doesnt count for very much when it comes to profit margins. This is not a happy movie. Its theme is depressing. Its conclusion is depressing and only slightly satisfying. It is after his wifes murder that Justin realizes the depth of her commitment to a just cause and it is with this insight that he falls deeply in love with her memory. It is too late. But why he gives up his own life remains a mystery. True, he has been poisoned by the reality of the world around him. Maybe he just cant survive outside The Garden. This is a persuasive exposé of sorts, but if it were a non-fiction docu-drama based on a specific true incident, it would be even more effective. (Surely it is no secret that Capitalists - in their worst form, and in the guise of being helpful - are out there destroying nations. ) It might, however, be just enough to get the audience wondering. For those for whom wondering and deep thought are more than theyd like to buy when they purchase a movie ticket, this is an original and entertaining film.
9/10
22.12.2005 -
copacetic@ - age: 50+
I really enjoyed this movie. I appreciated that this movie challenged some political and cultural issues that are often swept under the carpet.
8/10
16.12.2005 -
kymberle@ - age: 26-35
Jeffrey Caine's personal touch is apparent throughout this taut thriller. An engrossing movie.
7/10
13.12.2005 -
m,j,brown@ - age: 50+
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Was disappointed. I now remember why I never finished reading the book. Camera is shaky too.
5/10
11.12.2005 -
gromart@ - age: 36-49
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Despite having read some of your less than flattering reviews, I quite liked the film & felt that the documentary style camera shots made for a more visceral experience for me... I tried, truth be told, to look for moments where this would have annoyed me, but really folks... Build a bridge & get over it! How does this compare to all the jarring CSI out there? (I love CSI BTW). Listen, so many movies made these days are silly apple pie depictions of one non sensical gratuitous scene after another, endless explosions, speed & vulgararity, wrapped up in an even more dubious script, poor acting and very little character development... it's enough to just give up on cinema alltogether... I felt this work, by comparison, like the subject matter or not, was undeniably well written and well acted. I would tend to agree however, with people yearning for a new Ralph Fiennes, he needs to push his limits more & show us how tremendous he can be. I was very moved by this film and the ending is unexpected... nice touch..
9/10
20.11.2005 -
lydia_blanar@ - age: 26-35
Will Ralph Fiennes ever play any other type of character. He's the same guy in every film. Camera work really sucked. I know that jerky stuff is trendy now, but come on. The producer should know that this effect will seem very dated in a short while. On the positive side, good story, good acting, some suspense. I enjoyed it.
8/10
18.11.2005 -
scott@ - age: 36-49
Very informative and entertaining. Highly recommend it. More films like this should be made.
9/10
4.11.2005 -
robheydon@ - age: 26-35
"The Constant Gardener" was really a great movie; it deals with heavy subject matter (perhaps based on truth) about things that go on in Africa, and the journey of a man and his wife. It was definitely worth the money, don't miss it, and to the ladies, Ralph Fiennes is in it and gorgeous ;)
8/10
2.11.2005 -
angel_of_the_morning@ - age: 18-25
I thought the movie was pretty average. The activg was great, but the story, I thought, was just a little slow and uninteresting. Worth seeing though as the imagery is fantastic.
7/10
25.10.2005 -
gordo_stacey@ - age: 26-35
LOVED it. If you don't get the story, read the book: it will explain all (and give you a Canadian scene or two) It is a powerful love story about transformation and deliverance through personal tragedy; the drug testing and human aid storylines are an illuminating framework, not the only point of the movie. I'm so grateful to Le Carre and the film makers for bringing such complex and scandalous issues into common view. There are drug company whistleblowers in our own country right now who are being prosecuted and persecuted for trying to make such things public; I think the movie is hugely helpful to them. And a great love story.
10/10
19.10.2005 -
aseeker@ - age: 36-49
Not what I was expecting (not really sure what to expect), but pleasantly surprised. Very good movie.
8/10
15.10.2005 -
turtlejelly@ - age: 26-35
Liked the movie. But there were sections that dragged for too long. Rachel Weisz did not impress -- those sections that dragged on didn't support her effort.
8/10
14.10.2005 -
joe,rogan2@ - age: 50+
Great cinematography, and the performances of all the main actors is way better than the fluff that is being offered by mainstream Hollywood. In addition, anyone with an interest in current events would enjoy this movie.
8/10
12.10.2005 -
misterdimeo@ - age: 26-35
This movie was blatant propaganda masquerading as a love story. The time changes were cheap tricks to produce mystery. It could have been a great movie about love but the people in charge blew away their oportunity.
6/10
9.10.2005 -
angela2heaven@ - age: 50+
This is the best movie I've seen in years. The acting and character development are excellent. The cinematography is great, the plot is believable, and the messages are powerful. The film maker didn't treat the audience like idiots. If you don't want to think and believe that movies should be like kids amusement park rides don't go to this film.
10/10
30.9.2005 -
landfall33@ - age: 26-35
Good movie -a bit slow at times. Good music too. They could have given it a different title, but what does it really matter.
7/10
26.9.2005 -
ldrieman@ - age: 50+
Once again reality is roughly treated even distorted through over-dramatization. Why does the film industry take a sordid corrupt incident and turn it into another narcissistic personal white privileged quest. Both my partner and I have lived and worked in African countries and have dealt directly wih the consequences of drug dumping and other disgusting practises involving corrupt health industry practises. (in one situation... the dumping of faulty polio vaccines resulting in deafness and visual impairments... another situation involving the unoficial distribution therefore testing of an injectable contraceptive (subsequently banned) in the middle of the onset of the AIDS pandemic).. I could go on, but one of the chief characteristics of evil is its banality and hidden undramatic presence... money always changes hands quietly without fanfare... but then it seems most filmmakers miss this significant aspect of injustice... this film certainly does.
6/10
25.9.2005 -
particki@ - age: 50+
I go to a movie to be entertained. This was confusing - with the "Memento"-like time-shifting, depressing -with the Oxfam-like view of the African deprivation, preachy - with its anti-business capitalist greed theme. An interesting, annoying film, not particularly a pleasant experience. [...]
6/10
24.9.2005 -
runcible@
This is one of the most powerful films I've seen in a long time. It is wonderfully acted and has a plot that seems entirely too realistic, making it sometimes difficult to watch. The cinematography was interesting - dull and grey during the scenes in London, but rich, saturated colours in Africa. I'm not sure why there was so much hand-held camera work, making the screen jittery and shaky much of the time. Perhaps this was supposed to add to the realism, making it seem like more of a documentary. It just made me slightly nauseous. But I digress. I think this is the finest work that Ralph Fiennes has done in years. There is one particular scene in which he revisits the flat of his late wife and his absolute grief moved me to tears. I wouldn't be surprised if he received an Oscar nomination for this.
9/10
24.9.2005 -
shirls_corner@ - age: 26-35
This is generaly a bad movie, long and boring. I could of been good, because its quite a subject, but instead they made it to long and repetitive. The begining was good and keeps your interrest up, but the middle and the end were repetitive and quite boring. The only thing that made you watch were the phenomenol pictures. 5 or 6 would be reasonable.
5/10
24.9.2005 -
sexykowski@ - age: 13-17
Great acting from Weisz and Fiennes but the story was too complicated to be presented under this format. Too many issues being tackled at the same time. First time in years that I had fallen asleep in a theater. Friend of mine that had red the book thought that it was fantastic.
5/10
22.9.2005 -
mattlavic@ - age: 26-35
Wow! How inspiring and touching. The picture is beautiful, the music is excellent. Long at moments but I felt it was part of the mood of the movie..
8/10
21.9.2005 -
sophiecottonball@ - age: 26-35
I felt a headache and nausea for most parts as the pictures going. But, clearly, I would rate this film one of the best in this year. The acting is terrific, the story lies in the deep conscience of human soul battling against injustice and inhumanity rooted in human greeds and ignorance.
10/10
21.9.2005 -
henry5587@ - age: 26-35
Why I only rated this a 7: terribly shaky camera movement, nearly causing me to close my eyes (how this new trend in film-making, as seen in other recent flicks such as The Bourne Supremacy and Lords of Dogtown,[...] grainy film footage (yeah, we got it: it's supposed to look like we're really there; last time I checked, real life didn't look like someone threw sand in my eyes), and a story that gradually lost my interest (up until the last half hour, I was really into it) Rachel Weisz is terrific, but unfortunately she seems to be slowly weened out of the movie. The Constant Gardener is what happens when BS style takes over what should have been a really beautiful piece of film and turns it into an exercise in nausea management and forced morality. Someone up there said the cinematography was beautiful; I say "Get some glasses, dude.".
7/10
20.9.2005 -
newscott13@ - age: 26-35
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