Who’d have guessed that the end of the Cold War would give master spy novelist John Le Carre better fish to fry? This superior spy/romance is unexpectedly powerful stuff about medical relief programs in Africa being used as cover for illicit drug trials. Ralph Fiennes is superb (possible his best perf) as a mid-level Brit diplomat whose out-spoken/left-leaning wife (Rachel Weisz in a perf that all but knocks Kate Winslet off the map) is either bold, out-of-control or on to something. When she’s murdered, Fiennes follows up on her initiatives, and just as important to him, finds out who she ultimately loved. Was it him, another diplomat, or maybe her charming African contact man, a very charismatic Hubert Kounde? In his first pic since CITY OF GOD, Fernando Merielles seems reluctant to tame his over-active style, abetted w/ apt film stocks & clever color design via regular lenser Cesar Charlone. But you adjust to the overkill and the film is so well cast & acted and makes such stunning use of its international settings that complaints melt away. If only Le Carre had gone past his PC instincts for a final twist that would have shown how Weisz was also being naive & used, perhaps by a rival drug company, and we might have had a masterpiece.
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