The Painted Veil
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Movie Reviews of The Painted Veil
Movie Review: An oddly quiet film that works its way slowly into your soul
Summary: 5 Stars
To be honest, I might not have seen this film if it hadn't been playing at the right theater at a convenient time. Sure, I was aware of the source material, and I generallly enjoy the actors involved. But I'd have easily missed it.
The plot essentials: Kitty marries Walter simply to get away from her stubborn, small-minded parents, who have given up on her. Walter, a doctor doing research in China, is all head and no heart. Kitty is all heart and no head. Not a good match. Once they get to China, Kitty quickly has an affair. When Walter finds out, he offers a choice: immediate divorce, which would be scandalous, or she follows him to a cholera ridden region. It quickly seems clear that this is Walter's way of trying to kill her.
And this is just the beginning. Obviously, there's a lot of melodrama here, yet the movie underplays everything. There are no grand speeches, no spectacular fights. And the two main characters are hard to care for, given that they only seem half there: Walter completely lacking emotion or the ability to converse, Kitty foolishly believing that romance is substance. So what's remarkable is that the audience sort of falls in love with this pair, just as they, unexpectedly, fall in love, eventually, with each other. This is tricky, and most filmakers would make a big, cheesy deal of the moment when their feelings finally come clear. That it is a smaller moment here makes it even more touching.
I'm sure there are some people who rather the big, noisy version of this story, with the characters turned more sympathetic, and cues telling us how we should feel. Not me. I admired the fact that the director and screenwriter trusted me enough to understand things on my own.
There were only two small things that didn't work for me: the timeline of events is confusing, not because of flashbacks, but simply because it is hard to tell how much time has passed. And the final scene, in which we find out "what happened next", is totally unneccessary.
Movie Review: LOVED THIS MOVIE
Summary: 5 Stars
THE PAINTED VEIL
I had this movie sitting on the shelf, kept passing it by to watch others. Wow, I LOVED this movie! It was so good, so wonderful. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts were spectacular! What took me so long to watch and totally enjoy? I was INSTANTLY immersed in this movie.
The scenery is breath-taking, the plot great. Set in the 1920's, Watts and Norton, marry -- she to please her parents and to basically get out of their house. Norton is taken with Watts and is in love with her. But, ALAS! He doesn't know how to show his love and he is too deeply involved in his work in the medical field to realize he is shutting his wife out. She gets involved in an affair with one of their friends.
Norton finds out, and to me, it seemed out of resentment, he takes a job in China to help fight a cholera epidemic. Wow, how nasty and awful this place is. While Norton is loving being there, having the medical time of his life, Watts HATES it there. To make matters worse, Norton is full of resentment and punishes Watts by ignoring her and being mean and nasty. Watts seems to be slowly going out of her mind, being in a foreign place, full of disease, political uprisings, dangerous situations!
We are taken through this village fighting cholera and the marriage and relationship of Norton and Watts. Diana Rigg as Mother Superior was wonderful, she is a superb actress.
The movie is a tear-jerker but well worth every kleenex. The ending is sad and leaves a lesson learned -- don't waste time playing games with those you love.
I HIGHLY recommend this movie, although I am probably one of the last people in the world to just have seen it. If you are in the small minority of people like me who have not seen this movie, PLEASE check it out. You will love it. Watts and Norton are such good actors and the movie is wonderful.
Thank you!!!
Pam
Movie Review: Well Spent Time....
Summary: 5 Stars
This adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel with the same title is stunning visually, and emotionally wrenching. It ends with brilliant simplicity, leaving your mind and heart still entrapped in the story -- it's the kind of film you'll still be thinking about 2 days later while sipping a cup of tea. Curran creates magic with his sweeping scenery, efortlessly emphasizing the isolation and loneliness Walter and Kitty are facing - both physically and emotionally. Edward Norton truly becomes Walter, somehow managing to make clear Walter's growth through the film without losing the simple, quiet character he is. Norton deserves every one of the awards he won for this movie and many more. Naomi Watts is given the somewhat easier task of presenting Kitty, whose transformation is more active. She too brings her screen persona to life beautifully -- moving from selfish young woman to shattered soul to simple strength without emotional manipulation or losing the essence of the story. The two together bring a chemistry that touches the audience at the core of our being - and does so with a degree of subtlety that is rare today.
If you are a fan of the big budget, overproduced, special effects laden films that are so prevalent today, this will not impress you. The film simply flows -- no forced action or rush. If you are willing to ride along with the current, however, it is unforgettable. This movie is a flashback to a day when films managed to convey in few words much meaning. Curran's cinematography is a blend of a strong, simple script, poignant use of color and camera placement, and powerful actors. With that recipe it is no surprise that for those of us looking for a true experience film, Painted Veil is a hit.
PS-- the title itself refers to a sonnet by Percy Byshe Shelley called "Lift not the Painted Veil," which is well worth googling if you want a glimpse at the movie's depth.
Movie Review: The Distance Between Two People
Summary: 5 Stars
The film based on Somerset Maugham's THE PAINTED VEIL earns my high recommendation. The acting is fantastic - Edward Norton delivers a winning performance as Walter Fane (When's this guy going to win an Oscar?) and Naomi Watts embodies a brilliant Kitty Fane. Liev Schreiber stars as Charlie Townsend.
China, 1920s. A cholera epidemic plagues the Chinese countryside while at the same time the government is in political upheaval with the Nationalists vying for power. Bacteriologist Walter Fane and his pretentious, shallow wife Kitty decide to travel into the deep interior to help doctor a small town ravaged by the sickness. Their journey is made all the more complex because of her loveless espousal to Walter and her illicit affair with career politician Charlie Townsend. Of course Walter says that he's going to help the sick town, but his real motive is to remove his wife far away from her paramour and punish her in the process.
Seldom do I see a film that portrays a love story with this level of complexity. Married and loveless, Walter and Kitty have to travel an incredible distance between themselves if they ever hope to find love in their relationship. The journey is flawless and deep. Add to their journey the exotic setting of the Chinese countryside, the political unrest between Communism and freedom, the music and dancing intrinsic to Kitty's shallow soul, the battle against a ravaging disease, the overarching themes of religious truth and the brainwashing philanthropy of the Catholic nuns, and the discovery of new life and grace amid the bleakest of circumstances, and you've got a story that transcends the mundane and moves the heart. While arguably slow in parts, the tension of Walter and Kitty's relationship is masterful and a joy to watch in the hands of two accomplished actors.
--- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
Movie Review: poignant and memorable
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie has so many excellences. The cinematography and score are wonderful, and the performances of all the actors are so true to life. Not just the main characters but all the minor ones give stellar performances -- from the scornful Chinese officer who barely tolerate the imperial westerners in his country to Waddington, the dissipated but dedicated counsul, to the luminous Mother Superior and her charming nuns. Even bit characters, such as the nameless servant who runs to fetch Waddington when Kitty can't deal with her packing up Walter's things, or the Manchu lover of Waddington turn in memorable performances.
Kitty and Walter are perfect in their portrayal of the bloodless husband concealing deep passions, and the shallow girl who married for escape and ultimately finds love. Particularly memorable is how the movie portrays the fine line that can exist between love and hatred.
While the movie is slow, and a little predictable, the time that the book was written in demands this kind of slowness, and it lends the movie even more poignancy. Those who don't like classic literature or need a lot of action in their entertainment probably won't like this movie, but for those of us who like classic literature and historical movies the deliberate building up of the pace adds rather than detracts from the movie. Particularly moving is the A la Clare Fontaine sequence, as Kitty leaves China.
I would have liked some extras on the DVD, but I suppose we can't have everything.
I seem drawn to this movie whenever I see it is on the schedule, (and it seems to be showing up on pay movie channels quite a bit). I've probably watched it a half dozen times, quite involuntarily, and the more I see it the more impressed I have become with it. This is definately worth a watch, and in my opinion, a purchase.