Twice before, Hollywood has attempted to transfer W. Somerset Maugham's novel The Painted Veil to the big screen, said Elizabeth Weitzman in the New York Daily News. Both times, in 1934 and 1957, the effort produced an embarrassing flop. Now, 'œdespite a rocky start, the third time turns out to be the charm.' Edward Norton and Naomi Watts are Walter and Kitty Fane, a British married couple whose mutual dislike turns to spite when Walter discovers that his wife has been having an affair. Walter threatens to divorce Kitty publicly unless she accompanies him to a remote Chinese village to treat the victims of a cholera outbreak. As the pair care for dying villagers, they begin to recognize that Christian duty is more important than petty impulses, and to warm to each other. 'œScene for scene, Watts and Norton deliver note-perfect performances,' said Ethan Alter in Premiere. Director John Curran portrays the thaw of their relationship without overdoing it on either end, creating an absorbing character drama. The Painted Veil is also 'œa technical masterpiece,' said Joshua Jezioro in The Buffalo News. Filmed almost entirely on location in rural China, the movie offers exotic landscapes and fine 1920s touches. Such visual pleasures, and a pretty piano score, lend this small film some weight.
Rating: PG-13
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