The Painted Veil (20 December 2006)
directed by John Curran
starring Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Toby Jones, Diana Rigg, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Juliet Howland
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MPAA rating: Studio: Stratus Film Co., Class 5 Films, The Colleton Company, Bob Yari Productions, The Mark Gordon Company, Warner Independent Pictures Script: Ron Nyswaner Based on the book by: W. Somerset Maugham Music: Alexandre Desplat Running time: 125 minutes Award: 2007 Golden Globe for Best Original Score Tactical strength: [8/10]
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for some mature sexual situations, partial nudity, disturbing
The Painted Veil makes a methodical study of a couple that starts out with a marriage of convenience, deal with adultery, and come to love each other more deeply than they every expected. Dr. Walter Fane (Edward Norton) loves Kitty (Naomi Watts) at first sight and proposes to her almost immediately. Kitty doesn't love Walter, but accepts his proposal to get away from her mother. Walter has a position as a bacteriologist in Shanghai, which puts Kitty at quite a distance from her mother.
Walter doesn't provide Kitty the love and entertainment that she wants, and she starts an affair with Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber), a councilor in the British ambassador's office in Shanghai. Walter discovers Kitty's affair, and out of spite, he volunteers to post himself to the Chinese interior in the center of a cholera epidemic. He forces Kitty to accompany him or face the humiliation of a public divorce. We can see that Walter's pain over Kitty's affair has pushed him into not caring if he or Kitty dies of cholera.
The film progresses with slow, steady pacing, but director John Curran keeps very tight control and the pace never makes you bored. With each scene, you see slight changes in Kitty and Walter. Kitty notices Walter's dedication to solving the cholera problem and his kindness to the orphans. The town has an orphanage run by Catholic nuns, and Kitty volunteers to help in the nursery. Walter also notices the changes in Kitty, as she provides the first non-selfish services in her life. In the midst of the epidemic, Kitty discovers that she is pregnant, and the prospect of having a baby together further cements the couple's relationship.
The subtle character changes occur in front of spectacular Chinese scenery. Nowhere else in the world has such craggy mountains covered in such brilliant green. If Walter and Kitty had lived in London or even Shanghai, they would never have evolved into a loving couple. The exotic and remote location allowed the couple a disorienting background which causes them to re-evaluate their positions toward one another. Not every actor can express subtlety, but Edward Norton and Naomi Watts demonstrate their ability to precisely control every mannerism and facial expression to the requirements of each scene. The score by Alexandre Desplat effectively enhances the mood of each scene and rounds out this well made picture, filled with tension yet resolving peacefully for each character.
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