For those of us who are connoisseurs of the spy/thriller genre, few authors are appreciated as much as John le Carré. For over 40 years, he’s been weaving intricate tales of subterfuge and stealth, with shadowy characters creeping toward an invariable betrayal somewhere in the last chapter. Much like another exceptional writer in the genre, Len Deighton, le Carré crafts stories that are well-grounded in the realities of spycraft. His are no half-cocked baccarat-playing, martini-swilling superspies bedding the moll and saving the world with a clever gadget secreted in a tube of toothpaste.
But for all that, le Carré isn’t Ian Fleming and hasn’t created a franchise-defining character like James Bond. Yet he’s had remarkable success in seeing his work translated for the big (and small) screen. Of his 19 books, 11 have been filmed; let’s see John Grisham catch up with that. Le Carré also has the benefit of participating directly in the translation of his books to film. Unlike Fleming’s, le Carré’s stories have remained essentially intact – read the book, and that’s the movie. (The Bond franchise stopped following Fleming’s stories by the fifth movie. Fleming, being dead at the time, was in no position to complain.)
Le Carré’s exceptional track record continues this month with the release of “The Constant Gardener,” based on his 2001 novel. Ralph Fiennes is Justin Quayle, a mild-mannered British diplomat assigned to Kenya. Detached from the politics and corruption around him, Quayle prefers to tend to his garden while his young wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), scours the country trying to improve the squalid lives of the destitute natives. Then one day news reaches Quayle that Tessa has been found brutally murdered. Evidence suggests that the Kenyan doctor she was traveling with might have been both her lover and her killer, but the man is nowhere to be found. Quayle’s devotion to Tessa, even in the light of her alleged improprieties, stirs him to action, and he begins to track her travels in an effort to piece together the circumstances that led to her death. And, as ever in thrillers, that’s where the tale begins to twist.
Quayle’s pursuit quickly puts him at odds with a major multinational pharmaceutical corporation. Tessa, in the course of her humanitarian work, had been documenting evidence that a company was using African slums as test grounds for new drugs, subverting legal and ethical codes and killing hundreds in order to rush drugs through trial. But Quayle is not prepared to face the extent of the corruption, which stretches across two continents, from as far afield as Berlin to as close as his own offices in Nairobi.
“The Constant Gardener” is the first English-language movie for brilliant Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, who gained worldwide acclaim for “City of God,” his searing portrayal of life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Meirelles brings the same gutsy, unblinking style to “Gardener,” particularly when the scenes focus on the blighted lives of the poorest residents of central Africa. In those scenes, Meirelles jacks up the contrast, putting the people into sharp relief; he wants to burn their plight into your eyes.
Nearly every scene in “The Constant Gardener” features Ralph Fiennes, and that’s understandable. The story is entirely focused on Quayle, both in his pursuit of Tessa’s killer and in his emotional journey from disaffected diplomat to dedicated defender. Fiennes’ good looks and assuring gaze make him a natural leading man. (See him as a noble good guy here before his debut as the treacherous Lord Voldemort in the next Harry Potter movie.)
“The Constant Gardener,” though certainly not without points of action, is not an action film. Given the devotion Quayle displays toward his wife, even beyond death, it’s nearly as much a romance as it is a thriller. Love and intrigue together? That’s a kiss-kiss, bang-bang tale Ian Fleming would never have considered. Lucky for us, we’ve got le Carré instead.
What better place to get in the mood for “The Constant Gardener” than at St. Louis’ own constant garden? The Missouri Botanical Garden’s café, Sassafras, got a big makeover this year, with a lighter, more organic menu to match a new, environmentally conscious décor. Go for an early lunch – try the bursting-with-flavor fresh mozzarella panini or the Thai chicken salad – and a stroll around the grounds before catching a matinee.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2005.