The Painted Veil (2006)

	Directed by: John Curran	COUNTRY China/USA GENRE Drama/Romance NORWEGIAN TITLE Kjærlighetens slør RUNNING TIME 125 minutes
	Produced by: Sara Colleton Jean Francois Fonlupt Mark Gill Sanping Han Edward Norton Naomi Watts Bob Yari
	Written by (based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham): Ron Nyswaner

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Kitty Fane	Naomi Watts	½
Walter Fane	Edward Norton	½
Charlie Townsend	Liev Schreiber	½
Waddington	Toby Jones
Mother Superior	Diana Rigg
Colonel Yu	Anthony Wong Chau-Sang

Review

The third film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel about a marriage between two polar opposite Britons, and how they must deal both with each other and with an unfamiliar culture in 1920s China. What might seem like a conventional period romance has become an elaborate and profound human drama in the hands of director John Curran and screenwriter Ron Nyswaner.

Although Curran's direction is classical stylistically, he shows flair with his atypical narrative rhythm and uncanny craftsmanship in a few crucial plot turns. The film shifts in tone more than once, but it does this so delicately that you might not consciously notice it. This is a key when telling the story of Kitty and Walter, because not even they are completely aware of their own situation – of what they actually feel. Coming from a constrained early 20th century England, they have trouble identifying their own emotions, albeit in completely opposite manners. As they learn more about each other, they learn more about themselves. The material is powerful, and that power is elevated by the probing, absorbing performances of Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. Curran's clever move here is that he doesn't let us know where we have Walter no more than Kitty does.

Even if the story takes place in 1920s China, it explores universal and timeless themes, both on an interpersonal level and on a macro scale. I like the balance Curran achieves by allowing his characters to truly be products of their own time, yet at the same time coming off as relevant representatives of contemporary relationship challenges. The same largely goes for the plot line concerning the Chinese/Imperial tension and how disease never differentiates between people.

The Painted Veil is a beautiful and unpretentious film with a simple soul and universal appeal. The icing on the cake is the compelling score by Alexandre Desplat, who is about to establish himself as not only one of the best film scorers of our time, but as one of the most talented classical composers around.