The Painted Veil

Starring: Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber
Directed by: John Curran
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Kitty (Naomi Watts) marries a shy bacteriologist (Edward Norton) but soon after begins an affair with a diplomat (Liev Schreiber). When her husband finds out, he forces her to go with him into the cholera-infested country, or he will divorce her. With no other option, she accompanies him on an almost-suicide mission.

Review:

Tim: This is an odd movie. For most of the film, it feels less like a compelling attempt at a film, and more a means to showcase the talent of its stars. The film almost gets in the way of the attempt to showcase acting talent. The story feels secondary.

Surprisingly, the cast isn't that great. Edward Norton gives an odd performance, but I don't believe it could be considered strong. He is adequate, but not much more. Naomi Watts is likewise only slightly above decent. She never feels quite right in the role. Liev Schreiber is good, but he doesn't have a very big role. This film is very much about Norton and Watts, who, consequently, have no chemistry at all. I understand they aren't supposed to be perfect lovers, but they just don't work well together.

The film has a number of plot holes and occasionally shoddy work. The cinematography is quite good, however. The movie is really beautiful to watch. For most of first hour and a half, the film feels like it drags on. Not much happens, and it is slightly boring. However, the third act is when the film really picks up speed and the ending is surprisingly effective. It is so good, in fact, that it makes up for much of the film's slow beginnings.

In the end, The Painted Veil does enough right to be considered a fairly decent period piece. However, the film is a little too full of itself. This pretentiousness hurts the overall film. Still, this is an interesting movie at least.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Love in the Time of Cholera, Kingdom of Heaven, King Kong