8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 15, 2006 ARTs 'Gardener' still a knockout UP IN FLAMES 0 By Imran Syed Daily Arts Writer Only the best movies can engage audiences intellectually while also entertaining them. "The Constant The Constant Gardener," a rivet- Gardener ing spy thriller set in the callous and Focus convoluted world of pharmaceutical companies in Africa, is among the rare films that achieve this effect. Though it's fictional, it has power- ful impact on the real world, potentially sparking inquiry among viewers into its depiction of African exploitation. Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes ("The English Patient") stars as Justin Quayle, a low-level, low-key British diplomat with an explosively humanitar- ian wife, Tessa (newly crowned Golden Globes winner and Oscar nominee for best supporting actress Rachel Weisz, "Constantine"). When Tessa is brutally murdered in a remote region of Kenya, Justin embarks on a mission to uncover what happened to her and why. During the course of his voyage, he discovers the brutality of big pharmaceutical compa- nies, who may have gone as far as murder to turn a profit. But Justin's greatest sur- prises await him closer to home, as the circumstances of his wife's life and death become even more mysterious. Political implications aside, "The Constant Gardener" functions perfectly on one level as a spy thriller. Much like another of last year's best political films, Steven Spielberg's "Munich," the mov- ie's overtones deal directly with political policies and actions. It's so well made, though, that even those who are com- pletely oblivious to these themes will be captivated. Still, a complete appreciation of the movie lies in the audience's will- ingness to be receptive to the extratextual relevance of the storyline. "The Constant Gardener" pulls no punches, and is, even by director Fer- nando Meirelle's ("City of God") account, a highly exaggerated portrayal. But the hyperbolic emphasis works excellently here. As was the case in still another high- ly charged social commentary from last year, "Crash," the exaggeration is never denied, yet the message comes out loud and clear. Maybe drug companies don't actually kill AIDS patients in Africa, but the mere fact that the public knows so lit- tle about the situation is enough to under- score the importance of the film. Both lead actors are exceptional and add natural touches to their characters almost flawlessly. Fiennes's portrayal of a simple-minded outsider's understandable naivete to the dire situation is perfect and only slightly bettered by Weisz's strong eminence of unbridled passion for righ- teousness. Certainly, neither character is realistic, but that's beside the point. The movie embraces Africa as a whole in a way few other films approach their locations. This is, after all, an allegori- cal reflection on the way things are done in Africa. Indeed, many of the special features - such as the extended scene and the featurette "Embracing Africa: C~ourtesy 0of1Focus "Be honest - the extensions aren't working for me, are they?" Filming in Kenya" - are devoted to enhancing the connection between the viewer and the forgotten continent and its people. All of the special featurettes and deleted scenes add to the experience of the film, a rarity to say the least. With its nonlinear, disruptive flow, "The Constant Gardener" comes through even clearer than the filmmakers could have imagined. Through struggling" to understand what is flashback and what is fact, the viewer can appreciate how complex actual diplomatic efforts have become. Its critical focus on Africa, the region everyone has forgotten, this alone is enough to rank this among the year's best films. Film: ****I Special Features: **** DAILY ARTS. AT LEAST WE'RE NOT NEws. U E mr4toan C4 l/ advertising design. f K. wSk~ DAVID TUMAN/Daily Swedish heavy-metal band In Flames played at Harpos Concert Theater this past Friday night. Go to www.michigandaily.com for the full story. U--. w this page could be your new blank canvas. now hiring. contact dailydesign@umich.edu or 764-0556 for info iU m morE Spring ses Registration Don't let summer s 114 undergraduate and - Arts and Sciences " Education and Human Se - Health Sciences Learn more at www.oakland.edu The free Michigan Uniform Guest applicati Ik1 11 0 ul III If you're spending your summer in the metro Detroit area, keep moving toward graduation as a guest student at Oakland University, where we offer any courses that can directly transfer to your home institution. Choose from e than 1,000 diverse classes in two convenient seven-week sessions. sion May 1 - June 21 April 7 - April 30 Summer session June 26 - August 16 Registration April 7 - June 25 slow you down! To accelerate your academic success, OU offers 87 graduate programs in: rvices " Business Administration - Engineering and Computer Science ' Nursing on is available online via PDF at www.oakland.edu/guestapply/ug m .. m m