Ralph Fiennes picks the best movie of his career: “I love what I think it’s about”
Oh, what it must be like to be Ralph Fiennes.
He is one of the most revered, acclaimed, and beloved actors of his time, appealing to numerous generations in all manner of ways. On top of that, he’s part of the literal elite, being able to trace his family roots back to the 16th Baron Saye and Sele. His full name is Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, in case you were wondering just how posh he is.
Back to his movie career, which of Fiennes’ many efforts is his best? Well, one way to determine this might be to look at his three Oscar nominations. He’s been recognised for his performances in Schindler’s List, The English Patient, and Conclave (which hilariously received a major bump in streaming numbers following the death of Pope Francis), so maybe one of those is the answer. His most popular movie on Letterboxd is The Grand Budapest Hotel, while the general public also has a lot of love for his work in the Harry Potter and James Bond franchises.
Which movie is the best, though? Well, according to the man himself, it’s none of the above. In an interview with the Daily Express, Fiennes revealed that he has a special place in his heart for the 2005 thriller The Constant Gardener, in which he co-starred alongside Rachel Weisz.
“I loved making it. I love the part. I just loved the experience of shooting in Kenya, in Africa. I love what I think it’s about, which is a man who wants to get to the truth or something without any Bondian tough guy stuff,” he gushed. “It’s about the quiet heroism in a man, and it’s got a relevant thing about corporate transparency, the pharmaceutical world.” The actor also revealed that he enjoyed working with Weisz, director Fernando Meirelles, and especially producer Simon Channing Williams, who sadly passed away in 2009.
The Constant Gardener is based on the late John le Carré’s 2001 novel of the same name. Fiennes plays Justin Quayle, a diplomat working in Kenya alongside his wife, Weisz’s Tessa. When Tessa is killed after writing a damning report about a new drug, Quayle decides to forgo his life of quiet diplomacy and seek answers. The cast and crew of the film, which included a young Lupita Nyong’o as a production assistant, were so moved by the scenes they saw filming in Kenya that they set up the Constant Gardener Trust in order to improve conditions in the region.
In a genre full of dumb shoot ‘em ups, the film provides a much more intelligent alternative. As with many of le Carré’s narratives, there’s more to the story than the surface-level run-and-gun plots of so many lesser spy tales. As Fiennes alluded to, its criticism of big pharma is still as relevant today as it was over two decades ago, and the decision to focus major social criticism through the lens of a single character and his issues makes the adventure much more relatable.
It may not appear that often in retrospectives of his career, but for reasons both professional and personal, it’s clear that The Constant Gardener holds a special place in Ralph Fiennes’ heart. As it turns out, it’s also a pretty great movie, which helps a lot.
