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The Constant Gardener is a good film -- a very realistic and important "thriller" that is only slightly less entertaining than the more-harrowing City of God. It is well-made, but not always compelling, despite the importance of the subject matter. Or maybe because of it. It is best when focusing on the relationship between Justin and Tessa, which is actually the relationship between the audience and the Africa that no one wants to see. A fictional global conspiracy would be more palatable; this conspiracy is real and probably vaster than the one shown here.
I noticed that a few members of the audience fell asleep about halfway through the film. I also heard grumblings about the depressing subject matter as I walked out -- they probably saw the "it's a global conspiracy!" blurb and the photograph of Ralph Fiennes holding a gun on the movie poster, and then were disappointed that the conspiracy is more mundanely "realistic" than they hoped, with no evil super-villains, and that the main character not once fires a gun on-screen.
There are passages of exposition that seem only to teach the audience about Africa and the drug companies' exploitation of the AIDS plague; the film is long, perhaps too long, and while The Constant Gardener is never preachy, it often relies on the sad truth of its assertions to sustain its emotional momentum.
The acting is top-notch. The love story is at the heart of this drama, and it's subtle, genuine, and hauntingly moving. This aspect may be what stays with you, in the end.
I think the color-saturated cinematography in Africa was a good choice. A more subdued pallete, while more "realistic", would not have conveyed the beauty of this country. The colors certainly don't romanticize the place... remember that even the blood and suffering are accentuated. This way you remember the country as you might an actual memory, rather than a moving picture on a movie screen.
~s
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