The Constant Gardener is a very strong film about a man trying to get at the bottom of the murder of his wife, a political activist who was investigating on a powerful pharmaceutical company shortly before her death. I liked the movie just fine the first time I saw it but on a rewatch I found it surprisingly haunting, also thanks to Ralph Fiennes' compelling leading performance. It's a nicely shot movie with a well-written screenplay that sends the message home without ever feeling heavy-handed.
The role of Tessa Quayle is a very difficult one under many points of view and one that is very easy to get all wrong. She is an empathetic, altruistic woman who deeply cares about the lives of poor people in Africa but at the same time her actions are sometimes a bit careless if not downright puzzling - in more than one instance, she loudly insults influential, powerful people, endaring her own life rather than helping the people she cares about. But Rachel Weisz somehow manages to sell completely the character - she brings a lot of intelligence to the character but also a great deal of passion which explain her sometimes irrational behavior. Her first encounter with the diplomat Justin (Ralph Fiennes) in which she passionately condemns the needless violence carried out on African countries is a particularly excellent scene in which Weisz perfectly builds the foundation for the character of Tessa - she is passionate and she is not afraid of speaking her own mind but at the same time she is completely rid of any arrogance or pretentiousness. From her first minute on screen, Weisz is a radiant and captivating presence, making Tessa an endearing character we care about.
Her chemistry with Fiennes is particularly excellent as the two actors are just incredibly sweet in their tender, intimate moments together. Weisz again has the difficult task of conveying both her genuine love towards Justin as well as the reasons she approached him in the first place - convince him to take her to Africa. Incredibly, Weisz pulls it off: she is excellent in the scene in which she asks him to take her there with him as she so perfectly shows the underlying determination behind her calm, controlled plea; on the other hand, she is completely convincing at portraying Tessa's sincere, deep love for her husband. One of Weisz' most effective moments is in the scene in which she breastfeeds an orphan newborn after the death of her own baby - it could have been an unbelievable, even forced moment and it might have even made look Tessa as indifferent towards the death of her own baby. But, again, Weisz understands so much her character that she manages to make this scene completely believable: she is absolutely heartbreaking in the scene as she poignantly portrays her grief over the loss of her child but also her selflessness and willingness to help people even when she is facing a tragedy herself. Her plea to Sandy (Danny Huston) to help her is another excellent moment that shows perfectly Tessa' determination to get what she wants.
One of the most interesting questions the movie makes is how far would Tessa actually go in order to accomplish her goals? It's a very interesting question that puzzles the viewer for a large chunk of the movie, particularly due to a scene in which Tessa accepts to eventually have sex with Sandy if he gives her an important letter she wants to read. It's a brilliantly acted scene by Weisz who doesn't quite make clear what Tessa's intentions are - is she really willing to have sex with Sandy or is she just lying in order to get the letter? Weisz' portrayal leaves the question with an open answer which makes her character extremely fascinating even after she leaves the picture. When later on Justin reads a letter she finds in Tessa' room, it is revealed that she had no intention of keeping her word and Weisz' voice-over is absolutely heartbreaking as a guilt-stricken Tessa asks herself if she has gone too far and if, ultimately, the end justifies the means.
Tessa Quayle is a tricky character but Rachel Weisz manages to pull it off wonderfully: while the character itself can be seen as a set-up for Justin' eventual search of the truth, Weisz makes her a three-dimensional, complex human being and even when she is off-screen you can still feel her haunting, vivid presence hanging all over the movie. When we finally see her again at the end of the movie, we truly realize the greatness of Weisz' achievement and how much she made out of Tessa' character. It's a great work deserving of its Oscar by a wonderful (and, in my opinion, underrated) actress.
4.5/5
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