This ‘Gardener’ works slowly

What happens when you try to expose a corporation making millions of

dollars off human suffering in Africa? You get murdered and your

spouse is left behind trying to understand why.

That’s the gist of “The Constant Gardener,” the new movie directed

by Fernando Meirelles, whose previous work includes the critically

acclaimed “City of God.”

The wife of an English diplomat stationed in Africa is murdered

after digging too deeply into the ways in which a corrupt

pharmaceutical company is exploiting the African healthcare crisis.

As the diplomat, Justin (Ralph Fiennes), tries to discover why his

wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), was murdered, he puts himself in danger

and makes himself a target of the people who killed his wife.

This same path of discovery also leads him to the truth about his

marriage, his feelings for his wife, and her feelings for him.

The best part of “The Constant Gardener” is the heartwarming love

story between Justin and Tessa, who is murdered at the beginning of

the movie. We watch their courtship in a series of flashbacks as

Justin works through the grieving process. When Justin works to

discover what happened to Tessa and why she was murdered, he’s also

uncovering the reasons why he and Tessa loved each other so much. If

the conclusion of this story thread wasn’t so trite, it would be a

movie worth watching.

The story might work as a thriller if it were exciting.

Unfortunately, the only way “The Constant Gardener” challenges the

audience is asking us to stay awake. The pacing is painfully slow,

and the movie dwells on details that really don’t matter to either

the political message or the mystery.

For example, it doesn’t really matter where the bodies are if

finding the bodies isn’t an important part of the story. This is a

long sequence that could have been cut.

At its heart, “The Constant Gardener” is trying very hard to be a

compelling and thought-provoking story about world politics and the

healthcare crisis in Africa. Unfortunately, it’s really just a

condescending civics lesson without any teeth.

If this were a real story about a real drug company’s shady

dealings in Africa, this might actually be an interesting movie.

Because this story is entirely fictional, it feels as if Meirelles is

just using the current pandemics in Africa as a backdrop for a dull

movie that’s supposedly a thriller.

The idea that the multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry is

more concerned about profit statements than public health isn’t

earth-shattering news. Likewise, anyone who can read a newspaper

knows Hurricane Katrina is absolutely nothing compared to 50,000

Africans dying every day because they lack medical care, electricity,

clean water and proper sanitation.

What “The Constant Gardener” doesn’t have the courage to address

is that people in the West are more concerned about getting their

kids to soccer practice on time than they are about human suffering

elsewhere on the globe.

This movie is too slow and too dull to keep the attention of the

segment of the population that hasn’t figured out there’s a world

health crisis. The story doesn’t say anything that will change the

hearts or minds of people who know there’s a crisis in Africa but

just don’t care.

There’s no information here that can be used as ammunition by

people who want to effect change. What we’re left with is a painfully

slow excuse for a thriller that arrogantly uses the tragedy of the

healthcare crisis in Africa as a story device.

It’s unfortunate a stellar performance by Ralph Fiennes is wasted

in this movie. He and the rest of this cast are absolutely terrific.

In many ways, “The Constant Gardener” reminds me of “Crash,”

another movie that takes itself very seriously and is really nothing

more than pretentious nonsense. These are both examples of Hollywood

talking down to audience members, assuming they are stupid and need

to be educated.

At the same time, neither movie has the courage to say anything

relevant, honest or truthful about important subjects that deserve

attention.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.

‘Constant Gardener’ has twists and turns

Villains operate on one of two levels: openly or secretly.

Marauding bandits attacking a village to loot, rape, kidnap and

murder do so out in the open. A quick and thunderous approach signals

their arrival; their shouts, angry gestures and raised guns announce

their intent. Seeing the bad guys approach, the victims try to run,

hide or fight off their attackers.

Bad guys who operate secretly approach their victims as wolves in

sheep’s clothing. They approach their intended victims with the

appearance of helping, not harming. The technique allows the villains

to get next to their victims undetected, able to strike without a

struggle. Even those who learn the truth and try to stop it do not

always realize how close their enemies are to them, watching their

every move. It can happen anywhere.

In “The Constant Gardener,” the villains fit into the latter

category.

Justin, a British diplomat in Africa, goes in search of what

happened to his wife, Tessa. Justin’s search for the truth leads to

the realization Tessa has been keeping secrets from him. His attempts

to expose the reality of what is happening lead him to learn their

marriage and their life in Africa are not what he had believed. “The

Constant Gardener” exposes the reality behind appearances. People and

events in the story are not as they appear to be, especially for

Justin and Tessa. And the audience, along with the wolves in sheep’s

clothing, both under- and overestimate the couple and their ability

to expose and stop the assault on innocent victims.

Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz (as Justin and Tessa) elevate the

murder-mystery plot into a love story. They both display the wide

range of conflicting emotions necessary to the plot’s twists and

turns. Is he a cuckolded husband? Did she woo and marry him for

secret reasons? Are they aware of who the enemies are and letting

them get too close? Their performances warrant attention in the

coming awards season.

The English-made film uses visual techniques to capture the

off-balance emotions Justin deals with as he fills in the missing

pieces of the puzzle. Like a person retracing his steps after losing

something, Justin visits his past and his marriage through flashbacks

to help bring the truth to light.

To show Justin’s state of mind, the film is shot as if the camera

were held by an amateur videographer. This “shaky camera” method of

filming -- used to show a range of emotions -- has pros and cons.

While it effectively reflects the state of mind of the character, it

can negatively affect the ability of the audience to concentrate on

the story.

“The Constant Gardener” is a complex, well-written thriller, with

great performances and intriguing twists and turns. It requires your

full attention from beginning to end. The social and political

setting borders on the brutal, but the film discreetly avoids graphic

displays of violence, relying on the imagination of the viewer to

complete the picture.

“The Constant Gardener” is a must-see film for adults.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 40, produces commercial videos and

documentaries.