First of all, does this screenshot from The Constant Gardener remind you of any of my photos?

Constant Gardener

I’m pretty sure that this scene takes place in the Tate Modern Museum of Modern Art, pretty close to where I was standing just a few moments before I realized I needed to be outside taking this photo.

I really enjoyed this movie. It features Ralph Feinnes as an excrutiatingly polite British diplomat in Kenya whose activist wife (Rachel Weisz) is murdered because she is investigating the unethical clinical trials being conducted in Africa by pharmaceutical companies. The questionable conduct of western corporations in third world countries is a global issue that’s politically charged, but the movie never strays far from the fact that he’s driven to complete her work for the sole reason that he loves her. Even when his own life is threatened, he pushes on to expose the truth about what is happening in Africa, partly to make amends for not having understood her struggle while she was alive.

The film is beautifully shot, vividly capturing the scenery and vibrant cultures of Kenya and the Sudan. The pacing of the editing and the varied color palettes switch frequently to closely match the mood of each scene. The traditional African musical score keeps an uplifting beat going throughout the film.
I give The Constant Gardener 8.5 out of 10. 🙂