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Trailer
Official Site
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Producer: Simon Channing-Williams
Stars: Rachel Weiss, Ralph Fiennes
MPAA
Rating: R for language, violence and nudity
Year of
Release: 2005
Running Time: 129 minutes
A film review by
Sara Schieron
Dedicated "to those who lived and
died giving a damn", the film begins like the LeCarre novel: with the
death of Tessa Quayle (played by Rachel Weiss). Following the discovery
of Tessa's body, Justin, her overly accommodating husband (Ralph
Fiennes), uncovers information about her research on major
pharmaceutical tests conducted in Kenya. Justin's search for Tessa's
work becomes the search for a reason behind her death, and as he
learns, he remembers exchanges he had with his lost wife. From his
luxury car, Justin sees the need around them and tells Tessa: "We can't
help all of them", to which Tessa replies: "We can help this one".
Cesar
Charlone's camerawork, referred to as "guerrilla" by the Hollywood
Reporter, plays an interesting role throughout the film. Seeping in and
out of focus with a motivation that's hard to place, the camera takes
on perspectives that reflect the ever shifting environment. The rhythm
of handheld shots and jump cuts is occasionally broken with sweeping
crane shots or helicopter views, yet despite this contrast of
production value the film's clear and profound themes give one a sense
of purposeful assembly, with only occasional awkwardness.
Shot
between England, Amsterdam and South Africa, the medium budget feature
was advised against filming in Kenya due to insurance expenses.
However, Meirelles felt the film had to take place in Kenya, in loyalty
to the novel. To compromise, the director reportedly entered Kenya with
a small crew and hand held 16mm cameras. Sequences featuring Fiennes
and Weiss in Kenya were filmed with actual crowds of non actors to give
a sense of immediacy and realism. The result of this immediacy is near
anthropological, forcing one to value the whole of Kenya from minute
details such as one local's hardly visible necklace clasp. Like the
ever changing focus, the world of this film and all it's occupants are
in constant flux.
Rachel Weiss
reportedly fought for the role of Tessa, and for good reason. Her
character not only exhibits a humanity that is simultaneously selfless
and ambitious but her integration into the plot, as determined by
Meirelles and editor Claire Simpson (Platoon, Wall Street), translated
her into a specter that introduces the Constant Gardener (Fiennes) to
the afterlife just behind the veil of things. Feinnes acting is
characteristically subtle. So subtle, in fact, that highly dramatic
moments come and go and one is left with little more than the memory
that Fiennes is a Brit by birth.
Perhaps
to its credit, the poorest element of the film is its marketing.
Neither its tagline, nor its poster offer the potential patron any
semblance of the craftsmanship or the significance this picture holds.
Conclusion:
The film is certainly worth seeing on the big screen. It's beautifully
shot, it's through provoking and it will keep you talking. Perhaps, a
good date movie.
Word to the wise:
those who lost patience with Dogme 95 because of the constant hand held
camera might mull over your decision to see this film. You won't get
nauseous but you will be aware of the motion and focus changes.
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