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The Constant Gardener closes the summer movie season with an unusually challenging thriller. The film is based on the popular novel by John le Carré and directed by Fernando Mereilles, whose acclaimed debut City of God earned him an Oscar nomination.

The title refers to the central character—British diplomat Justin Quayle(Ralph Fiennes), a man who likes to garden and stay out of trouble. But when his wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz), an activist working in Kenya, is murdered, he ends up digging into the dirt of corporate greed and its consequences on the weak and the vulnerable.

Christian critics generally praised the movie's merits.

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) says the film is "more of a political message delivery system than a movie. It is also extremely well made. And unlike, say, The Interpreter … this new film knows how to put its craftsmanship to the service of its message, which is fierce and focused throughout. Many political thrillers use the travails of the so-called Third World as an excuse to show glamorous people doing exciting things, but The Constant Gardener comes at it the other way 'round. Here, the mysteries and conspiracies take us deeper into an African situation which, the film assures us, reflects the reality on the ground."

Dick Staub (CultureWatch), author of Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters, finds wisdom in this film as well. "The Constant Gardener is a must-see film for multi-layered reasons. It is a great cinematic accomplishment combining a truly compelling story, gripping, memorable performances and exotic locations. … It is also a film with a conscience, angry about the abuse of the poor, specifically in Africa, through a conspiracy of governments and mega-corporations, in this case pharmaceutical companies." He exhorts readers to allow the film to "tamper with your sense of calling and responsibility, if not for this specific set of issues, for the ones you are aware of and could personally get involved with now."

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) raves, "Fiennes is at his very best, showing how his easygoing complacency morphs into an impassioned activism much like that of his wife. Weisz is appropriately obnoxious in her strident activism, but likable too. Besides their excellent work, there are also solid acting turns by [Danny] Huston, Gerard McSorley, Richard McCabe, Bill Nighy and Pete Postlethwaite. … All in all, this is a quality film with an important social justice message."

Steven Isaac (Plugged In) writes, "The Constant Gardener takes American moviegoers across the ocean to another place, but more importantly it asks them to step outside of themselves for a few moments and consider the value of lives they rarely consider valuable. Or at best, rarely think about at all. This is a message movie first and foremost, but it injects its agenda smoothly."

Josh Hurst (Reveal) says the film will probably earn Oscar nominations—even some undeserved ones. He says Fiennes and Weisz "deserve 'em. Give one to cinematographer Cé sar Charlone, too. But don't be surprised if the Academy love-fest continues long after that. The Constant Gardener is, in many respects, just the kind of movie that Oscar tends to go ga-ga over: A so-so movie cleverly disguised as a great work of art."

Hurst is right—judging from the reception the film's receiving from mainstream critics, we're likely to see this one remembered at Oscar time.

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September (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49