Fernando Meirelles, codirector of City of God, stresses old-fashioned storytelling and takes full advantage of his cast, including Danny Huston. full review

... Ralph Fiennes gives one of the year's subtlest, yet most exciting, screen performances ... full review

Rises to a pitch of terror and outrage that leaves one shaken. full review

Meirelles clearly trusts his actors, particularly Fiennes and Weisz: The plot of The Constant Gardener is fairly intricate, but in the end, the story is told mostly in their faces. full review

The Constant Gardener is beautifully structured, an artful mix of forward motion and flashbacks. full review

The director's fluttering hand keeps the ground constantly shifting beneath our feet, which is just what this beautifully wrenching adaptation for the screen requires.

The filmmaker's assurance and vision in reimagining the novel are downright inspiring.

Viewers who like real-world issues interwoven with their fiction -- much in the style of author John Le Carre, whose novel is the basis for this movie -- should find plenty to chew on. full review

A character-driven drama of actual import that delivers a message and dramatic punch, but with a visual edginess and narrative ingenuity that is in the service of the story, as opposed to the filmmaker's cleverness.

The Constant Gardener manages to fight through its own pretensions to deliver a tale you care about, featuring characters you care for. full review

If it sends audiences home to log on to the Amnesty International website, terrific -- but that still doesn't make it a very good movie. full review

A film that grips us dramatically, intellectually and emotionally. full review

Fernando Meirelles's excellent adaptation of the novel by John le Carré is likely to linger in your mind and may even trouble your conscience. full review

A slick, fast-paced production with first-rate performances and an emotional punch you won't soon forget. full review

This is not a movie that will shock you or thrill you or rock your world. Instead, it will move you, it will stick with you, it will give you pause and effect you in ways not easily described -- which is something the best films always do.

Yes, the cast is certainly seductive, and the direction often beguiling, yet ultimately we're left with a distinct sense of abandonment, of a story insufficiently told. full review

The Constant Gardener is more like walking past a series of paintings than watching a movie. You can admire the skill that went into work, but it never carries you along. full review

This is one of the year's best films. full review

A sweaty, vital masterpiece that's always one step ahead of its audience. full review

It harkens back to an era when movies about socially relevant causes came without irony and with the conviction that wide exposure could bring about needed changes. In other words, this isn't your usual multiplex offering. full review