Andrew Crago
Diversions Editor

"The Constant Gardener" is a thought-provoking new movie from the director of the acclaimed film "City of God."

PHOTO COURTESY OF YAHOO.COM Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz star in the tense thriller “The Constant Gardener.”

The film, based on a novel by John Le Carré, is a combination of two of the best movies of the past three years: "City of God" and "Hotel Rwanda." "The Constant Gardener" takes the gritty, high-contrast beauty of "City of God," and the intense, real-world atrocity of "Hotel Rwanda" and creates a striking and haunting film.

The story takes place in a remote area of Northern Kenya. Activist Tessa Quayle (Rachel Weisz) is found brutally murdered. Tessa’s husband is mild-mannered British government employee Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes).

The British High Commission seems determined to bury the murder case, so Quayle embarks on his own investigation, using his access to diplomatic secrets to follow the same path his wife took before her death. He finds that the conspiracy and the lies run deep and have a global impact on the pharmaceuticals market.

The film is a crisp and heartfelt thriller that examines the interactions of huge corporations and third-world people, whom the corporations simply use as test subjects for drug experiments.

The film is beautiful and interesting, but it could not work without spectacular acting by both Weisz and Fiennes. They are what is needed to make the story work. Weisz is both feisty and spontaneous, and Fiennes transforms from subdued to passionate before your eyes.

The film is just over two hours, and while it feels long because of the high intensity level, it captivated me for the duration.

The movie is a thriller, but not a typical one including machine gun shootouts and exploding buildings. It is a slow-moving, intelligent, and talk-heavy movie.

Fernando Meirelles, the director, shoots his movies in such a way that makes you feel like you are there. There are many shaky, moving camera shots and frequent close-ups. The effect removes typical camera angles and causes the viewer to forget they are watching a movie.

Interestingly, the movie never menions gardening. Fiennes’ character is shown gardening often, but it is never discussed. The reasoning behind the title would make for a good discussion in an English class.

"The Constant Gardener" is a movie with a message. It is true there is a love story, and there is action, but the movie has something to say. It depicts medicines tested in third-world countries without consideration for destructive consequences, and when bad things happen they are covered up. The movie shows the harsh reality of how third-world countries are treated by the rest of the world, and how greed spoils good intentions.