The Constant Gardener (15) (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

The Constant Gardener (15)

NOW this is how thrillers should be made. There is very little wham-bam action in The Constant Gardener. There are no explosions or gung-ho heroics at least not in the conventional, Hollywood sense.

Indeed, our hero in this film is an impossibly nice, garden-loving British diplomat who, against his better judgement, delves deep into murky goings on in a corrupt and disease- ridden Africa.

As one of our men in Kenya, Justin Quayle (Fiennes) faces a daily routine of meetings, diplomatic drinks parties and mountains of paperwork, filling in his spare time tending his beloved garden.

Thank heavens for Tessa (Weisz), Justin's feisty wife, an outspoken activist working to improve conditions for Kenya's sick and poor. Justin is besotted with her, and she, so it seems, with him.

When Tessa is murdered in a remote region of the country, Justin is understandably devastated. He is also suspicious.

In trying to establish the reason and circumstances of Tessa's death, the diplomat suspects a cover-up, by both the local authorities and by the British government.

So he embarks on his own investigation one that takes him from Africa to Europe and back again on a dangerous mission that puts his own life at risk.

The Constant Gardener is a film that demands constant attention. It takes a non-linear approach, with much of the story told in flashback through which we understand that Justin and Tessa's marriage may not have been all wine and roses.

Why had she suddenly become secretive about her work? Was she having an affair? And just who was responsible for her death?

The deeper Justin digs, the more he realises the friends and colleagues he could once rely on for support are no longer trustworthy.

As with many a John Le Carre novel and this film is based on one nothing is quite what it seems.

At the core of the story is an investigation into unscrupulous drugs companies and the relationship between the two lead characters.

Director Fernando Meirelles melds the two deftly, keeping his audience guessing to the very end, and never allowing us any easy options.

The flashbacks add dramatic weight as well as explaining the story, and everything falls neatly in place at the conclusion.

Meirelles has made excellent use of his locations, his restless camera weaving its way through noisy crowds in crumbling Kenyan slums, or swooping high over empty African landscapes.

Fiennes and Weisz in the lead roles are both outstanding.

The former's upper lip has never been stiffer, and it's fascinating to watch him progress from a diffident and dedicated husband and Government official to a desperate and determined man on a quest for the truth.

Mention should also be made of Danny Huston and Bill Nighy in strong supporting roles.

The Constant Gardener is as tense and gripping as you would expect any thriller to be, but there the similarity ends with its Hollywood brethren.

If you want big bangs and wisecracking heroes, you'd best stick to the likes of Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for a thriller that makes you think, then The Constant Gardener fits the bill.

9/10

By Stephen Webb

THE CONSTANT GARDENER

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Certificate 15, 128 mins