But I still don't know when I should plant my daffodils: "The Constant Gardener"

Here's a surprise: I liked this movie.

Not sure why that is. A surprise, I mean. I just remember not being jazzed about it when it came out. Maybe it was the somewhat dim starpower of Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. Maybe it was the fact that the British are prominently involved. In any case, I know I wasn't crushed when my wife went to see it by herself, and I recall her saying it wasn't anything great.

(Of course, I could be wrong on both counts -- her seeing it and her report. I've developed a nasty habit of misremembering things these days. But at least I'm not the President or anything.)

Our story has Fiennes, in full polite Brit mode, as a diplomat in Kenya whose young wife, Weisz, helps the poor villagers out with medical stuff. We see in flashbacks how they met and ended up in Africa, and how much trouble Weisz stirred up in trying to protect the exploited natives. All this comes, however, after we learn at the start that Weisz has been killed. So the story really is about Fiennes trying to find out what happened and what his wife was really up to.

I'll admit the story takes a while to get rolling, even with the jumping back and forth and the jiggly camera shots attempting to lend a sense of urgency. Again, maybe the pacing is a British thing. (The director is Brazilian, though, so who knows.) It also could be the way John Le Carre writes. While I haven't seen "The Russia House," I did see and enjoy "The Tailor of Panama," and recall that being a slow starter, too. I guess that's just the thing with espionage.

Fortunately, "The Constant Gardener" -- Fiennes' character is really into his plants -- does amp up the suspense and action in the second half as villains are unmasked, motives are revealed and the stakes become known. Yes, Ralph, there's more to life than your little green things. I especially liked the scenes that showed Fiennes in over his head and trying to play tough, and the climax when the main bad guy is twitching in his seat. Well played, good sir, well played.

A couple of supporting players, Danny Huston and the always enjoyable Bill Nighy, help the proceedings, but really everyone is top-notch, top-notch. As for the two leads, Fiennes was a nice choice for this meek-turned-indignant role. He's so proper that he doesn't fly off the handle even when he's clearly devastated or enraged.

Weisz got more praise and an Oscar for her performance, and there's no question it's her best work ever. I've rarely been impressed by her, but she nails the "I've got secrets" thing here. And she apparently did this while pregnant during some of the filming. Don't believe me? Just check out the IMDB page and the first plot keyword listed. Yeah, "Pregnant Woman Nude." Now riddle me this: Who goes looking for movies that highlight that? "What are you in the mood for, dear?" "Gee, I don't know. Just search for something with a pregnant woman nude ... " "How about a double feature with 'The Seventh Sign?'" It's a strange place, this world of ours.