Last year I saw the Portuguese film City of God, which was partially directed by Fernando Meirelles (I am one of those people who reads all the credits in every film I watch, so be warned if you ever to go to a movie with me), and I was very taken by the cinematographic style he used. It was a lot of handheld, quick cut shots, almost ADD at times, but the intensive style only helped magnify the emotional subject matter. When I discovered that Fernando Meireles was directing a British film, set in Africa, dealing with the corruption of African medical aid, also involving a conspiracy theory, and starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz, I decided that I must see The Constant Gardener. So Saturday night my girlfriend and I drove to Little Rock (because, as anyone familiar with Searcy knows, the Searcy cinema never shows anything good) in order to watch the film. I must say that this film was intense, the acting was superb, the ADD camera style of Meireles was utilized, and it was overtly political for something billed as thriller. I don't know if one ever enjoys films of this type, but I do know that one ruminates and thinks about them for a while. While I don't want to give away the movie to those who haven't seen it, I will say that the state of African Medical Aid occupies a large part of the film and I can't stop thinking about the state of affairs portrayed. I don't know whether things are as bad as the film implied, but if they are even half as bad then there is a huge problem. I am not one who accepts whatever I see or hear, especially from today's media, so I am currently investigating this on my own to see if there is any merit to the films claims. As far as the rest of the film goes, my opinion is that it is superbly done and that this is one of the most quality films I have seen in a long while (I always hesitate to label things good or bad, or best or worst, because those terms are fairly ambiguous, but when I saw quality I mean well made). This film is not for the faint of heart as it very much deserves its 'R' rating. There are at least 3 fairly disturbing images as well as a few brief bursts of strong language. There is also some nudity, although in my opinion it was fairly innocent and not of a strongly sexual type. If you just want to be entertained go see something else, but if you like to be engaged participant in the art form of film then I highly recommend The Constant Gardener.
P.S. Stay and read the credits as there is a very moving dedication of the film towards the end.
