This film is based on a novel written by John Le Carre. In a remote area of Northern Kenya, activist Tessa Quayle is found brutally murdered. Tessa's companion, a doctor, appears to have fled the scene and the evidence points to a crime of passion? Members of the British High Commission in Nairobi assume that Tessa's widower, their mild-mannered and unambitious colleague Justin Quayle will leave the investigation to them? They could not be more wrong!! Haunted by remorse and jarred by rumors of his late wife's infidelities, Quayle surprises everyone by embarking on a personal odyssey that will take him across three continents. Using his privileged access to diplomatic secrets, he will risk his own life and stopping at nothing to uncover and expose the truth. The reality is a conspiracy more far-reaching and deadly than Quayle could ever have imagined!!
This movie begins with an abrupt and violent car crash scene resulting in two deaths. There are complex betrayals (personal, corporate and political) that will be difficult for younger viewers to follow. Also, includes images of impoverished and ailing individuals in Kenyan villages and hospitals, violent men on horseback chase after villagers, there are other chase scenes and brief sexuality (a soft-filtered, love scene with a couple nestled in white sheets). Some language (uttered in anger) and a lot of discussion about disloyalty, lies and greed on the part of British government officials and international drug corporations. 5* (I really liked this movie)
129 min Drama directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by John le Carre with Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Hubert Kounde, Danny Huston, Daniele Harford, Packson Ngugi, Damaris Itenyo Agweyu, Bernard Otieno Oduor, Bill Nighy, Keith Pearson, John Sibi-Okumu, Donald Sumpter.
Note: Goodreads gives the book 3.81* out of 5* with 21,870 ratings and 1360 reviews, Imdb 7.4* out of 10* with 131,907 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 83% with 193 critics 82% with 217,608 audience scores, Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs 4* out of 5*, age 16+, 3* violence, sex, language, consumerism, drinking, drugs & smoking, Roger Ebert 4*, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 734 reviews, Letterboxd 3.5* out of 5* with 32 fans.
Special Note: When Tessa walks through the slum, numerous children ask her "How are you?" She responds "I'm fine, how are you?" This scene was unscripted. The children are actual residents living in Kibera and not extras. Director Fernando Meirelles lobbied to have the movie shot in Kenya since this is where the story is set, instead of in South Africa where most of Africa's film industry is located. Ralph Fiennes held and operated the camera for Justin Qualye's point-of-view shots. Fiennes is billed in the closing credits for "Justin Quayle POV Camera.” At the end of filming, The Constant Gardener Trust was set up to help the inhabitants of the slums near Nairobi. This is the area where the crew had been filming. The Wikipedia website states: "The poverty so affected the film crew that they established The Constant Gardener Trust to provide basic education to those areas." John le Carre is a patron of this charity.
Mistakes: Berlin Main Station opened in June 2006, the building took more than 10 years. Before this. Trains only passed through the station, but did not stop there. So, Justin Quayle cannot have arrived at Berlin Main Station in 2004, when the movie is set, as it is implied. Also, long distance trains only stop underground. The tracks above ground are reserved only for regional trains. When the turbo prop plane is making a drop into the village, the two pilots push the yoke forward. That would cause the plane to pitch down, however, the plane is clearly climbing when the drop is made. After Tessa’s, death when Justin is searching between her items, he finds a piece of paper that Wanza Kiluhu's (the girl who died in hospital where Tessa had a miscarriage) death date is written on it which is 29/8/04. A few scenes later, when Justin goes to London searching about Tessa's death, the station's security monitor shows the date 25/05/04, three months before Wanza's death and actually before Tessa's which occurred later.
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