CNS Movie Review: The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil

By Harry Forbes
Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- "The Painted Veil" (Warner Independent) is the latest film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel set in the 1920s about an English bacteriologist, Walter Fane (Edward Norton), who woos and quickly wins the hand of socialite Kitty (Naomi Watts, following in the footsteps of Greta Garbo in the 1934 original), whose family despairs that she will ever marry.

Walter takes her to live in Shanghai, where she is quickly bored, disappointed by her husband's romantic prowess, and falls for the married English Vice Counsel Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber), with whom she quickly commences an affair.

After he learns of Kitty's infidelity, Walter vengefully insists she accompany him to a remote part of China during a dangerous cholera epidemic there. She refuses and runs to Charlie, hoping he'll leave his wife and marry her. But now, as Walter knew he would do all along, Charlie -- citing his position -- declines.

Off to the remote, stricken village go Walter and Kitty, with Walter cold as ice and Kitty understandably frightened. But eventually, partly thanks to the intercession of their simpatico neighbor, Deputy Commissioner Waddington (Toby Jones), who seems to see the goodness within Kitty, she learns to stop mooning over Charlie and volunteers to minister to the sick at the hospital run by a colony of nuns and their mother superior (Diana Rigg).

Walter soon observes the change in her, and responds accordingly, leading them to finally establish a deep and abiding love.

Lushly photographed on location, the film -- under John Curran's direction -- unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the intelligent love story at its core and the spiritual journey and ultimate redemption for its heroine are movingly conveyed.

Norton and Watts (both of whom have producer credits here) give impressive, nuanced performances, as do the others.

The film contains a brief scene of lovemaking with shadowy nudity, a flash of rear nudity, innuendo, adultery, images of the sick and dying, drug use and a few crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

- - -

Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.

END

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250

FIND A MOVIE

   Looking for a
   movie review?
   Click "Movie List"
   button above

   OR

   Enter a keyword
   from the movie
   title in the box
   below and click
   the "Search"
   button.

Classifications
and
ratings?