Love. At any cost.|Aug. 31, 2005|China|129 Min.|R
Genre: Drama;Mystery;Thriller
Description: “The Constant Gardener” (2005) is a gripping film that sheds light on corporate corruption and its devastating impact. The story begins with a flashback to the pharmaceutical company KVH (Karel Vita Hudson), which develops a tuberculosis drug called Dypraxa. To conduct drug trials in Kenya, KVH collaborates with “Three Bees,” offering free HIV treatment to attract participants. However, Dypraxa proves deadly, causing a high number of fatalities. To avoid delays and costly reformulations, KVH hides these deaths with the help of the British Foreign Office.
The drug’s inventor, Dr. Lorbeer, horrified by the trial’s deadly consequences, flees and seeks redemption by treating villagers in Southern Sudan. Meanwhile, Tessa Quayle, a wealthy activist for Amnesty International living in Kenya, exposes corruption and misuse of foreign aid meant for medicine and hospitals. While working alongside a Kenyan doctor, Arnold Bluhm, Tessa uncovers the unethical tuberculosis trials. Arnold, who is secretly gay due to Kenya’s anti-LGBTQ laws, faces scrutiny as rumors of an affair with Tessa spread, despite her marriage to Justin Quayle, a British diplomat and amateur horticulturist stationed in Kenya.
During her investigation, Tessa—who is heavily pregnant—witnesses a trial participant, a new mother, fall critically ill. She and Arnold compile a report on the trial and attempt to bring it to the attention of the British Foreign Office. To protect Justin, Tessa shares the report with her husband’s colleague, High Commissioner Sandy Woodrow. Sandy forwards the report to Sir Bernard Pellegrin, head of the Africa Desk at the Foreign Office, setting off a chain of events that unravels a web of deceit and danger.
The film masterfully combines suspense, moral dilemmas, and a critique of corporate greed, making “The Constant Gardener” a compelling and thought-provoking cinematic experience.
Cast director: Fernando Meirelles
Cast actor: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Bill Nighy, Pete Postlethwaite, Richard McCabe, Donald Sumpter, Juliet Aubrey, Hubert Koundé, Archie Panjabi
Original name: The Constant Gardener