The Constant Gardener [2005]
I really, really liked City of God. It had an aura of authenticity about it. That air of simple, brutal everyday. How ordinary people can be killed on a mundane Monday morning, without anybody giving a shit. That honesty, for a lack of a better word, carries on over into The Constant Gardener. I seem to like many films of Ralph Fiennes', even though I generally do not particularily care for his acting. But Rachel Weisz. Man, oh man. She can just epitomize that bad-influence-but-with-good-intentions thing, with one look. You know she's trouble. But good trouble. The right trouble. The kind of trouble somebody should be making. Just like she did in Enemy at the Gates, another film by a fine director, and another one with a Fiennes, i.e. little brother Joseph, who I also think is rather dull. And yes, I did think he was OK in Shakespeare in Love. This time around, she gets more focus, more room, and fills it out completely. She portrays a fully three-dimensional person. Determined, passionate, fallable, but with a heart of gold. Filled with love. When she "walks" over to Fiennes' character, at the end of the movie, and softly sits down with him, smiling, it was as if something squeezed my heart. Hard. Maybe it is just that dark and heavy breath of Africa, or maybe it is because deep down, I wish I was doing something close to what Weisz' character is doing. Or perhaps I just think she is a damn good actress. Whatever it is, if she doesn't win the Oscar tonight for this, I will be very, very disappointed. Even if the fantastic Frances McDormand is also nominated.
