The Constant Gardener is a solid, thought-provoking drama. Don't let the advertisements fool you thought, this is no action-packed thrill ride. Most of the action in this film is of the cerebral nature. Remember, it stars Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient). He's not exactly action hero material.

I don't want to give away a lot of the political intrigue, so I'll keep the synopsis brief. British diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) is a conservative representative of the government. He falls in love with Tessa (Rachel Weisz), a passionate activist, committed to her causes (HIV/AIDS treatment and drug companies who 'test' drugs on unsuspecting Africans). Her outspoken zeal puts her at odds with Justin's cohorts at almost every turn. But, political differences aside, the two are in love (or are they?). Most of the action takes place in Kenya where Tessa and her 'good friend' Dr. Arnold Blum (Hubert Kounde) are brutally murdered. A grieving Justin searches in vain for answers. Why kill Tessa? What did she know? Who wanted to stop her? Did she really love him or was it just one big manipulation?

The cast of characters is large and you must pay attention but if you do, it all pays off in the end. Director Fernando Meirelles, who gave us the critically acclaimed City of God, does a very good job of bringing John LeCarre's complicated and rich book to the screen.  He evokes some great, Oscar-caliber performances out of Fiennes and Weisz. He also captures both the beauty and the poverty that co-exist in Kenya in the process. The sounds of Kenya are also captured beautifully in the haunting African soundtrack.

Meirelles straddles the line between political intrigue and love story very well. Fiennes is desperate to find out what happened to his wife. The closer he gets the more unclear her motives in regard to him become. While Weisz is murdered early on, she has an important role and much of her story is told in flashbacks. The story is not told in a linear fashion which makes paying attention even more critical.

Released theatrically at the beginning of September, The Constant Gardener is a good way to end the 'summer blockbuster' season and usher in the fall where more adult films are released as the race towards Oscar begins to heat up.