Adapted from the novel by John le Carr, The Constant Gardener is a complex and haunting political thriller. It exposes the immoral practices of multinational corporations in third world countries and looks at the fragility of love. Directed by Fernando Meirelles, the movie begins with the last moments of Tessa (Rachel Weisz), the feisty and beautiful wife of British diplomat Justin (Ralph Fiennes). She is on her way to rural Africa with her doctor friend Arnold and she waves goodbye to her husband. He never sees her again. During the trip, she is brutally murdered, and Arnold - believed by the British officials and local authorities to be her jealous lover and murderer - appears to have fled the scene. Justin, who refuses to back down under political pressure or be intimidated by death threats, takes the investigation into his own hands. He uncovers a deadly conspiracy: western pharmaceutical companies are testing their drugs on the African population, flanked by his superior and colleagues. This is a film that dispels all romanticised notions of Africa. The continent is not a wilderness camp for middle-class foreigners to experience nature. It is a land of suffering where 90 per cent of wealth is in the hands of 20 per cent of the population. The scenes are beautifully composed, thanks to cinematographer Cesar Charlone. There is disease, poverty and helpless Africans in the face of death and horror. Tessa, who reappears in flashbacks, is uncompromising, passionate and brutally honest. She is a woman with a mission to make the world a better place. Weisz delivers a strong performance with depth and sensitivity. The Constant Gardener is a well-crafted film that has style and substance. You may not agree with its radical message, but it will change your way of seeing the world. The Constant Gardener opens today
