The Painted Veil

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The Painted Veil

86% Liked It
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The Painted Veil

Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Toby Jones, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang

Set in the 1920s, this love story is about a young English couple (a doctor and a society girl) who marry hastily. They relocate to Hong Kong where they betray each other easily, but then they find an...( read more  read more... ) unexpected chance at redemption and happiness while on a deadly journey into the heart of ancient China.

Id: 8934354

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Recent Reviews

The Painted Veil Recent Reviews
  • AgentLexi2132
    December 10, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    ''A gripping tale of infidelity and revenge''

    ''A tense love story not to be missed''

    A period romance of sorts based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The story of a young married couple in the 1920s who marry yet don't know each other. What follow...( read more)s is an affair and a journey into a deadly epidemic.

    Niaomi Watts: Kitty


    Walter Fane: I knew when I married you that you were selfish and spoiled. But I loved you. I knew you only married me to get as far away from your mother as possible. And I hoped that one day... there'd be something more. I was wrong. You don't have it in you.
    Kitty Fane: If a man hasn't what's necessary to make a woman love him then it's his fault not hers.

    Beautiful locations and scenery, wonderfully shot.
    Ambient sounds and soothing entrancing music, the piano playing all you can desire for the senses.
    Excellent scale and clothing fitting to the period. Conveys an artistic vision and a keen eye for cinematography.

    Directed by John Curran (possible relative I assume). He has done a wonderful job on all counts.
    John Curran's nearly pitch perfect film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's The Painted Veil begins slowly and patiently, with leisurely flashbacks that elliptically bring us to a singularly absurd predicament: circa 1925, a British doctor (Edward Norton in his second romantic lead following The Illusionist) has brought his lovely young wife into the middle of a Chinese cholera epidemic purely out of spite. It's a wickedly clever little set-up that becomes increasingly more complex and absorbing.

    The note-perfect and delicately layered performances of Watts and Norton, two thespians typically acclaimed for their edgy and independent work and playing against type, are anchored with the literary genius of Maugham and Curran's keen eye and steady hand behind the camera. It's all perfectly accentuated by the brilliantly subversive music score by Alexandre Desplat. These cleverly designed elements coalesce deliciously into a fully fleshed-out whole, and allow The Painted Veil to grow in your mind organically and slowly slip under your skin like an infectious disease.

    ''As if a woman has ever loved a man for his virtue.''

    Ron Nyswaner does a great job of translating Maugham's writing to the screen. Virtually nothing is lost. That keen British wit, the dramatic sense of irony, and the sincere exploration of many heady themes including loveless marriages, adultery, imperialism, charity, religion, and redemption are all captured beautifully by director Curran and screenwriter Nyswaner. Watts and Norton are given plenty to chew on, not only great lines, but great scenes full of lush scenery, and beautiful and textured visual details that serve as perfect backdrops for their complex and unpredictable relationship.

    Edward Norton plays Walter to the right degree. A doctor who is up tight and proper, prudish and stubborn who slowly breaks out of his shell.
    Niaomi Watts as Kitty his wife, she plays her character well. At first seemingly spoilt and wild yet later evolving and emotionally drawn.
    Toby Jones who plays their neighbour was a most jovial likable character, very charismatic.

    ''When love and duty are one, grace is within you.''

    An interesting story of a love that starts one sided and slowly transitions into something so beautiful. Was frustrating at times watching the couple not make any progress yet ultimately compelling and satisfying when they did.

    ''I think China belongs to the Chinese people, but the rest of the world seems to disagree.''

    See this if you liked:

    The piano,

    Memoirs of a Geisha

    A story of forgiveness and love yet mixed with a tragic twist. Worth watching for it's beauty, visually and musically it offers richness.

    ''If people only spoke when they had something to say, the human race would soon lose the power of speech.''
  • laVenrose
    October 2, 2008
    laVenrose
    Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people.


    Rated: (PG-13)

    Directed by: John Curran

    Genres: Drama, Romance

    Starring: Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liv Scheiber


    ...( read more)href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/the%20painted%20veil/anylaademaj/Painted-veil-poster1.jpg?o=5" target="_blank">


    "It was silly of us to look for qualities in each other that we never had."
    -Walter Fane-


    THE MOVIE OUTLINE


    "In Austria, Kitty is lonely after her sister's marriage and she agrees to marry her father's research associate Dr. Walter Fane. Fane takes her to China but constantly ignors her in favour of his medical research. Lonely Kitty has an affair with Jack Townsend of the British Embassy. When it is discovered by Walter he becomes very bitter. Fane travels to fight a cholera epidemic and Kitty goes with him and helps. They grow closer together than ever before but Walter is knifed in a riot incited by the burning of a cholera infested town. Now their new found happiness will depend on Walter's survival. "





    MY APPRAISAL


    A good friend of mine has this theory :
    "if our schoolmates say 'this movie is boring/horrible/dull', that means it probably the best movie you'll ever watch..
    but..
    if the phrase
    'this movie's friggin' cool/rocks/incredible!' means a warning because it would be all rubbish." So sad, yes, but that's the awful truth.

    So when this friend I know say Painted Veil's sooo dull.....

    well, you get the idea.



    A portrait of betrayal and trust wrapped in beautiful scenes in "The Painted Veil". The characters developments is flawless. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts' character seem real and far from being over dramatized. Both actings terrific. As I saw Norton plays Walter Fane, I didn't see him as roles he played in Illusionist or Fight Club but simply as the quiet and complicated bacteriologist. This is just a testimony how excellent Norton did his job here. I ADORE HIM VERY MUCH!!

    The Painted Veil visually impressive. The scenery is tremendously breathtaking. Beside focusing on the visualization, the movie succeeded to boost its emotional substances. With both flawless performances, it's slow moving in a peaceful and charming way.

    This is not about infatuation..nor obesession. This is a story about affection and forgiveness and     .

    FORGIVENESS COMES AT A PRICE.





    Walter Fane: "Hello."


    Kitty Garstin: "Hello."


    Walter Fane: "Say, I was wondering... "

    Kitty Garstin: "What?"

    Walter Fane: "Sorry. I - I was wondering if you'd like to dance."

    Kitty Garstin: "Why not?"
  • MalumMosIncrebresco
    September 22, 2008
    MalumMosIncrebresco
    Another one that should've definitely gotten a higher rating, if I wasn't such an imbecile.
    Great performances for a short but perfectly appropriate cast. Obviously, Norton and Watts are the ones that shine the most. Specially the latter. Emotionally very powerful in all her char...( read more)acter's stages. But you expect nothing less from her.
    The story, without being amazingly unexpected or outside the box, does have its moments. It's simple, but it's also luring. More importantly though - and this is something extremely difficult to achieve -, I believe it's one that you can relate to at several levels, even if those are not directly connected to the main plot.
    The ending is slightly similar to a "cut the crap, THIS is real life" one, and yet it's delivered in a wrapping filled with momentum and artistic visuals, which matched the rest of the movie perfectly.

    Low aspects?
    Honestly can't say it has any.

    Why such a low rating, then?
    Well, the "imbecile" keyword at the beginning of the review kinda gives it away, really...

    Shouldn't I try being a bit more flexible with movie genres that aren't exactly my cup of tea, in that case?

    Hell, will you stop with the fucking questions?
  • evillincoln
    September 4, 2008
    evillincoln
    This movie had me in tears the full last half an hour. I probably related to it a bit to much for comfort, but the ending was perfect and harrowing at the same time.
  • ceWEBrity
    April 28, 2008
    ceWEBrity
    Not the kind of movie you want to watch while you're swirling around in emotional limbo. The Painted Veil is a stirring lesson about transience and atonement. It is a fine fusion of Hollywood classicism and modern-day romance with a shot of Eastern aesthetic thrown in for flavor;...( read more) it is familiar yet unique, and certainly memorable in its own right.

    There's something interesting about the casting of Naomi Watts and Edward Norton to me. I view them both as very blank-slate performers - they are actor stars through and through, bringing almost none of their real-life personalities to the screen. This is a huge asset to the movie; it really amplifies that scintillating 1930s romance movie sensation, where all that mattered was the love you saw between these two people on screen. These were two very interesting roles for Watts and Norton to tackle. The former is cold and selfish; she is clever, but not enough to remove herself out of the problems she creates. Her avarice is tempered by a lack of world experience - this trip is perfect for her, and Watts nails the turn of character that is certain to ensure. Norton, who has made a career of playing violent men, flourishes in a role that is gentle without being passive. His character exudes emotion and sense.

    The characters are interesting, but The Painted Veil really makes use of its setting. Cholera-torn, warring China is a fantastic place to put a tale of romantic redemption. There is so much material to enhance the meaning of their relationship: an orphanage full of kids who lost their parents to the disease, or a riot in the streets that becomes awfully threatening to the rich white woman on the rickshaw. Conflict springs forth naturally from the surroundings; nothing that happens in The Painted Veil ever seems forced. It's a very natural movie in every sense, which really counts for a lot.
  • CarterBryce
    December 5, 2009
    CarterBryce
    can really connect to it
  • cherrishy
    December 4, 2009
    cherrishy
    Too cold and distant to become a great movie about Love, even if in the last part is almost moving.
  • robgarbage
    December 2, 2009
    robgarbage
    I expected a little more from such a great actors like norton and watts.. i mean it's a beautiful movie but i think it's quite cold because it's focused on its final result and it often shows moments of bore and superficiality.
  • vanessasm1
    November 28, 2009
    vanessasm1
    when the love is here ,where are you ?
  • shazou
    November 27, 2009
    shazou
    I wasn't expecting much actually, i watched this movie by accident, the tv was on and i was too lazy to get the remote control. And finally this movie was really interesting and it's good not to know what it will be about. I was curious to know Naomi Watt's character's destiny. G...( read more)reat acting. ^^
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