You begin to take certain performers, like Ralph Fiennes, for granted. After memorable performances in so many films, it is no great surprise that he should supply another here. Less certain, however, was what expect from Director Fernando Meirelles and Rachel Weisz. That is not to say there are no expectations. Meirelles spent five years developing and shooting his brilliant City of God before unvailing it at Cannes in 2002. The film went on to astonishing world wide acclaim including 4 Oscar nominations is 2004. Weisz is best known for her roles in the blockbuster The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Her absence from this summer's sequel Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is testimony to what her Gardner award has done for her career.

Besides being an excellent and rivetting drama based on the John Le Care novel, Meirelles has crafted a unique and loving tribute to both the continent and people of Africa. Like COG, Gardner mixes gritty reality with evocative beauty as deftly as he mixes greedy and corrupt scoundrels with earnest and courageous everyday heroes. Meirelles pulls stunning beauty from the both lush and barren lands of Kenya, Nairobi and the sudan. He continues to show a great touch for dealing with the complexity of crime, corruption and its impact on the victim.

Weisz was nominated and received the oscar for her emotionally potent portrayal of an English ex-pat, activist/heiress who when confronted with a prevasive network of corruption that threatens to undo all of her good works, reacts with a desperate and bold plan to cut through the web.

Both Fiennes and Pete Postlethwaite give their normal superb performance. This one is well worth seeing.

Labels: Fiennes, Oscar, Weitz