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The Constant Gardner seems an unlikely title for this movie. The title of the film evokes visions of peaceful afternoons in lush green surroundings, but the series of events are neither calm nor idyllic; they are wrought with turmoil in the midst of the African AIDS crisis.

Don’t be put off by the title, a residual of the book by John Le Carre on which it is based. In fact, while literary tricks are apparent through the visual narrative, the screen adaptation results in a story that unfolds in gripping cinematic fashion.

Fernando Meirelles, the Brazilian director, does a miraculous job of transforming a story for readers into a story for viewers, doing much of the “telling” through choreography, cinematography, and purposefully belated elemental juxtaposition. This may seem like a no-brainer, since this is what directors are supposed to do. But combined with the script and choice of actors, all of the elements come together so seamlessly and realistically, that it is easy to forget that a director was even present to guide them.

Justin Quayle, played by Ralph Fiennes, is a soft-spoken, detached diplomat to Kenya. His wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) is anything but detached. Her determination to uncover deadly rounds of drug testing on a dependent African community lead to her death . . . and leads Justin to complete the investigation in honor of her dedication to human rights.

It’s about time Ralph Fiennes was given a part worthy of his screen presence. This is the best movie we’ve seen him in since The English Patient. While his character, Justin Quayle, can be at times outwardly sniveling and weak-willed, Fiennes, as diverse an actor as ever there was, pulls it off without a hitch, revealing the character’s psychological strength.

Rachel Weisz as Tessa is a believable free-spirit, admirable in her resolve to see real change in the world. Likewise is their relationship compelling –Justin’s grief over Tessa’s death is as much of a reason for him to abandon the safety of his post as is his growing realization that something gravely unethical is taking place.

As well as Bill Nighy as a corrupt official and Danny Huston as a betraying colleague, it is good to see Pete Postlethwaite on the screen, even though the audience has to wait until the last quarter of the film to encounter his character as a doctor who holds the key to the final question of the drug scandal.

This movie is engrossing from the very beginning, wrenching you in without even a pause for credits. From sweeping, chaotic crowd scenes to extreme close ups of metaphoric detail, the cinematography is beautiful and demands a serious audience.

If that wasn’t enough, a twisting, turning plot paired with convincingly emotional scenes takes The Constant Gardener out of the category of mass-market-paperback movie script and into the realm of realistic drama with a message. The African AIDS plight, the seeming evil disregard of powerful pharmaceutical companies, and the impassioned few who fight against any misconception that life is cheap is almost a call to arms set subtly behind a provocative story, solid characters, and exotic locales.

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