Venice wraps up with Meirelles' "Constant Gardener"

By Clara Ferreira-Marques 24 minutes ago

Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles moved from the favelas of Rio to the shantytowns of Nairobi for "The Constant Gardener," the last of 20 films in competition for the Venice Film Festival's coveted Golden Lion award.

The world's oldest cinema competition drew to a close on Friday as several pictures were tipped as possible winners, with George Clooney's black-and-white "Good Night. And, Good Luck" still a firm favorite for the festival's top prize.

Ang Lee's gay cowboy tale "Brokeback Mountain" and the last installment of Korean director Park Chan-wook's revenge trilogy, "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance," were both well received at the star-packed festival and are also seen as frontrunners.

"The Constant Gardener," which screens Friday at the Lido, is the story of a British diplomat's quest to solve the mystery of his wife's murder on the shores of a Kenyan lake.

Played by "English Patient" star Ralph Fiennes, the mild-mannered Justin is pushed by the death of Tessa, played by Rachel Weisz, to move beyond his potting shed, wading into her campaign against pharmaceutical firms' activities in Africa.

Meirelles, the award-winning director of "City of God," adapted a John Le Carre novel for a thriller that mixes the closed world of diplomatic intrigue, corporate interests and the vibrant colors of Nairobi's sprawling Kibera shantytown.

"When we finished filming I had a political drama, a love story and a documentary," Meirelles told a press conference. "But the love story was so strong I decided to make it the axis of the film."

Meirelles, who used amateur actors for "City of God," also called on locals for "The Constant Gardener," shooting many of the outside scenes with hand-held cameras for extra impact.

"We were in real places, with real people. That is Fernando's gift," Fiennes said in an interview with Reuters. "The Kenyan background is like an extra character, an active pulse within the drama."

GOLDEN LIONS

The gripping and committed "Constant Gardener" will face stiff competition for the top prizes in Venice, with many already placing their bets ahead of the Saturday night award ceremony at the seafront Palace of Cinema.

"It's hard to say what the jury is thinking, but I have liked both Clooney and Ang Lee, different films but both incredibly striking," said Lee Marshall, a critic for weekly magazine Screen International.

"Though sometimes they say there is no point in giving the prize to a U.S. film and in that case it might be 'Sympathy'."

According to Ciak movie magazine, published daily at the festival, the critics' and the public's first choice for the Golden Lion is Clooney's drama, the story of one broadcaster's battle against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist crusade.

In terms of top female roles, Gwyneth Paltrow is considered a strong contender for her portrayal of the daughter of a mentally ill mathematician in John Madden's "Proof."

She will have competition from "Sympathy" star Lee Young-ae and France's Isabelle Huppert, acclaimed for her performance in Patrice Chereau's emotionally intense "Gabrielle."

For best actor, Clooney's star David Strathairn is seen as a possible winner thanks to his intense portrayal of broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, with Heath Ledger hot on his heels for his cowboy role in "Brokeback Mountain."

The seven-member Venice jury is headed by Oscar-winning production designer Dante Ferretti.