Constant Gardener

Pros: Fiennes, Weisz, supporting cast, direction, screenplay, cinematography
Cons: Money can cover the truth

Tessa and Justin Quayle seem to live their lives in a very opposite fashion. Justin (Ralph Fiennes) is a British diplomat in Kenya who's busy with his plants when he's not busy with his work. Tessa (Rachel Weisz), Justin's wife, is a vocal and driven ...

Pros: great acting, strong story
Cons: very preachy at times

The Constant Gardener is a film that would make Michael Bay proud if he ever sees it. Not because of explosions, but because of the jerky camera movements that are the basis of the story telling here. In order to keep the audience enthralled ...

Pros: Intelligent thriller, great cast and music, gripping finale
Cons: A_bit slow_to start with, stylistic filming takes a little getting used_to

The Constant Gardener, based on the John Le Carre novel of the same name, is one of the most emotionally powerful films I’ve ever seen. Well that’s not quite true – the last third of the film had me dumbstruck, the first third ...

Pros: Tremendous acting, directing and cinematography
Cons: By necessity, left out some of the major characters from the book

I'm always a little wary of movies based on novels that I've read. I reviewed John Le Carre's novel on June 16, 2005 (A Story of Murder and Rape by the Pharmagiants), and, while it is quite different from Mr. Le Carre's usual spy thriller, I found it to ...

Pros: Fiennes' non-nominated performance, interesting setting
Cons: Cinematography didn't work for this movie like it did for City of God

The Constant Gardener stars Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz in a story of political intrigue and murder set in Africa. It was made by the screenwriter of Goldeneye and the director of City of God. This film has been nominated for ...

Pros: strong directing, interesting ideas
Cons: lack of character development, actor/actress performance is ok

This was very much the unexpected film for me. From what I had garnered from the first impressions, I was expecting the focus of the movie to be about a romance between well, a gardener and a woman, but what I gained from the film instead was a greater ...

Pros: solid performances, great cinematography
Cons: boring, too many issues, lousy resolution, a main character with the personality of a rock

The problem with adapting any book for film is that books aren't films. Somebody has to decide what parts of the book make a movie - and that means cutting down the list of characters, the list of issues, the list of subplots and the list of themes. As ...

Pros: Fascinating story, excellent acting, interesting cinematography, edge-of-the-seat intrigue.
Cons: None.

This is one of the best films that I have ever seen, and it is certainly one of the best modern films. It begins with the heartrending scene of Justin Quayle (played by Ralph Fiennes) being told by one of his close friends that his beloved wife, Tessa ...

Pros: Rachel Weisz is pretty.
Cons: The constant is boredom mixed with confusion, what kind of orchid does that make?

I’m no longer sure why I put The Constant Gardener on my list of films to see.  Would that I had not.  I didn’t hate it--to hate something is to be definite about it.  The film is a diplomatic ...

Pros: Fiennes, direction, Weisz, supporting cast, fantastic world music
Cons: Nothing worth mentioning, unless you're seeking mindless entertainment (because this ain't it).

Perhaps the only fault easily found with The Constant Gardener is its title. That such a dull and boring title should accompany such a breathtaking film is rather unfortunate, especially in a cinematic climate that increasingly judges a film's ...

Pros: Directing, Script, Look, Commentary, Cinematography, Score, & Cast.
Cons: None.

2002's landmark film City of God by director Fernando Meirelles not only changed the face of Latin American cinema but made Meirelles one of the newest and talented directors in the international scene. Nabbing a Best Director Oscar nomination in ...

Pros: Production values. Lead actors.
Cons: Lack of emotional connection.

Based on the eponymous novel, The Constant Gardener is an anomaly among recent movies, a thriller that, for better and worse, primarily appeals to the intellect rather than emotions, which makes for an interesting but not absorbing film. The ...

Pros: Nice views of Africa, lots of flamingos, nice music
Cons: A story that will insult your intelligence

John Le Carre' is of one those best-selling writers whom I, with admitted snobbishness, term "supermarket novelists", because his books are often there, at the checkout counter, together with the chocolate bars and the National Enquirer, when they are ...

Pros: A thriller with real people and real thought.
Cons: Can be preachy and slow in spots.

The Constant Gardener is almost like a U2 song in its execution. It's a film that mixes drama, romance, intrigue and social commentary. The advertisements have tried to sell the film as a thriller and most of the reviews have played up that aspect by ...

Pros: Performances, some cinematography
Cons: Obvious plot, unrealistic, painfully slow pacing

The Constant Gardener was a movie that looked outstanding in the previews. Ralph Fiennes plays Justin Quayle, a British diplomat working in Kenya. In the opening scene we see his young activist wife Tessa walking away to a small plane headed for a ...