Fantastically vibrant cinematography. A dark story - but a good watch.
Spectacular to look at with breathtaking scenery on location in Africa. Justin (Fiennes) is a mild-mannered diplomat, whose character develops after the death of his wife. The impact Tessa (Weisz) has on him is huge and he discovers his social/moral conscience. Many flashbacks make an interesting story and ensure that Weisz's talents aren't wasted. I have to say that I enjoyed the book a lot more, but it is still a good film in its own right.
If they ever give out awards for how far from the hype a film can be, then at least The Constant Gardener would deserve the accolade. One of the most facile films in the last year, The Constant Gardener introduces one of the weakest conspiracy/love stories to the screen. It's the equivalent to Bourne Supremancy meets Mission Impossible III meets Love Actually and then they spend all evening dancing around their handbags. The pharmaceutical premise makes no sense (who would, in their right minds, use as a test case AIDS sufferers, since they would have a multitude of unrelated symptoms), the "love story" and the "did they/didn't they have an affair" are embarrassing (take the scene where Weisz is breastfeeding the newly born infant and the moronic manipulation of the audience is plain as the nose on Fiennes' face). This is a fundamental waste of time.