Africa is a distant and forgettable land, plagued by disease and poverty, that somehow matters just a little bit less than the other nations of the world. This is the picture painted by director Fernando Meirelles in his newest film The Constant Gardener. While the moral behind this film is compelling and heart wrenching, it is, at times, a bit distracting as it is pounded into our heads. This becomes most evident late in the film, when Marcus Lorbeer, played by Pete Postlethwaite, says, “This is how the world screws Africa, as he tosses out medicines that have been sent from huge drug manufacturers that are expired and useless. Meirelles takes few breaks from chiding the world’s superpowers for our blissful ignorance of the pathetic state of Africa’s health care system, or lack thereof. The guilt may, in fact be an effective tool for inciting activism, curiosity, and education, but it has little to do with story telling. Still, despite the film's slightly wearing excoriation of big pharmaceuticals and big business in general, it does manage to be highly suspenseful, entertaining, and emotionally true.

This sense of truth is aided greatly by a remarkably contained and gripping performance by Ralph Fiennes as Justin Quayle. Quayle, a British diplomat, falls in love with Tessa, played by Rachel Weisz, who he meets after delivering a dull lecture for someone else. Tessa is an outspoken activist, whose willingness to speak her mind no matter her audience, ultimately becomes her downfall. Tessa's ability to uncover the truth, and her aggressiveness in trying to share that truth, becomes a threat to those whose monetary interests rest in the maintenance of silence.

Justin and Tessa’s romance is depicted in as an intense whirlwind, which, while erotic and emotionally moving, becomes somewhat confusing later in the film, as we try to assess exactly how well this man actually does know his wife. Tessa has joined her husband in Africa, where he has traveled for business. There, she becomes involved with the fight against the AIDS virus, which is rampant in that country. She becomes absorbed by Africa, and it's peoples' best interests become her passion. Through her medical involvements, and her work with an African Dr. Arnold Bluhm, Tessa bears witness to the unbelievable influence large drug manufacturers have over the medical care of the African People.

Weiss's performance is not as striking as Feine's and she seems to hold back. This may have been the correct choice however, as the circumstances of Tessa’s death lead Justin to wonder what parts of her life were kept from him. The sense that she is keeping something to herself in her performance adds to our sense of suspicion about her. Quayle who clearly loved his wife, no matter what transgressions she may have made in the marriage and her live, sets out to uncover the story behind her murder. Rumors, conspiracy, and Tessa’s secrecy lead Justin toward endless dead ends and detours until, what begins as a husband searching for information about his wife's infidelities, becomes the story of a husband who stumbles upon the same trail on which his wife began. He realizes he must now follow this new road to its end, whatever that end may be.

Justin, while in constant control of his emotions, is undoubtedly tortured by the loss of his wife. Images of her lace the film in a way that feels true of a recent loss, and Justin appears to be haunted by her memory. The idea that Quayle is learning who his wife really is through an investigation of her death, helps to give a motivation for his terrifying dig into information that there is no question is in his best interest to leave be. Quayle’s obstacles seem insurmountable as he realizes he is up against government officials, huge pharmaceutical companies, egos, greed, and his own insecurities and doubt. As more and more is revealed about the depth of corruption surrounding Tessa’s death, it is a sad realization, how believable that corruption is in our current times. In the film, some human lives are depicted as being more disposable than others, and the warning offered against this kind of thinking is sobering and horrifying.

Visually, the film is remarkable. Meirelles stays loyal to Africa's traditional bright pinks, blues, reds, and greens, while the texture of the images remains gritty. The sense of a dirty lens is maintained throughout the film, and it seems to mirror what the writer and director clearly think is the universal view of Africa as remote and untouchable. The majority of the film is shot with a steady cam, continuously adding to a sense of instability and insecurity. Though, this technique also grows irritating by the end of the film, and it is just as likely to produce nausea, as it is suspense. Strange misplaced shots of objects and flat images break up the film, constantly imbuing the viewer with a feeling of confusion and worry. The visual presentation of the film is a perfect palate for it's suspenseful and emotional plot. Interestingly, Justin's most emotional moment is marked by an absence of color, which clues the audience in to even his own surprise that he can no longer restrain himself.

Overall the film remains intense, and as Justin tires from he's search, the audience feels exhausted and hopeless as well. The film’s ending is satisfying with a mixture of emotions that leaves the audience thinking about the film for hours afterward. The Constant Gardener is a the kind of political suspense film one hopes to find at the theaters, but unlike most, this one delivers on its promises.