RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Painted Veil
The Painted Veil

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

The Painted Veil (2006)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
74 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 140

Fresh: 103

Rotten:37

Average Rating: 7.1/10

Consensus: Visually, The Painted Veil has all the trappings of a stuffy period drama, but Norton's and Watts's deft portrayals of imperfect, complicated characters give the film a modern-day spark.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some mature sexual situations, partial nudity, disturbing images and brief drug content

Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Dec 20, 2006 Limited

Box Office: $7,932,205

Synopsis: The third film version of Somerset Maughm's 1925 novel--directed by John Curran--is ripe with stunning Chinese locales and a smart turn from Naomi Watts as Kitty Fane, the aging English socialite... The third film version of Somerset Maughm's 1925 novel--directed by John Curran--is ripe with stunning Chinese locales and a smart turn from Naomi Watts as Kitty Fane, the aging English socialite who must put herself in strange and turbulent surroundings before she finds her true self. A complex and beautiful international production, this adaptation benefits greatly from the lack of restrictions that inhibited its previous incarnations in 1925 (with Greta Garbo) and in 1957 (as THE SEVENTH SIN). After pressure from her wealthy parents to settle down, Kitty marries mild-mannered bacteriologist Walter (Edward Norton), despite her lack of love for him. Shortly after their vows, he takes her to Shanghai, where she immediately has an affair with Charles Townsend (Liev Shrieber), an English Vice Consul. Walter becomes aware of Kitty's indiscretion and promptly whisks her away to the mountain village of Mei-tan-fu, where they befriend another English expat, the secretly decadent Deputy Commissioner Waddington (Toby Jones, in an extremely likable performance). Walter begins working to hold an encroaching cholera epidemic at bay---leaving Kitty to ponder her role in the situation as death looms over the village like a specter. A labor of love that took the better part of a decade for producer Norton and screenwriter Ron Nyswaner, THE PAINTED VEIL is a large, complex, and visually sumptuous production that employed a primarily Chinese crew on its intense location shoots. Norton's passion for the material is on full display, as he turns in another solid performance. Watts, however, who portrayed another unfaithful wife in Curran's previous film WE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (2004), is the heart of the film, all bee-stung lips and sweat on porcelain skin. Romantic, escapist entertainment in the best sense, THE PAINTED VEIL is yet more proof that there is an endless pool of silver screen potential in the classics of literature. [More]

Starring: Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Diana Rigg

Starring: Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Diana Rigg, Yu Xia, Lu Ying, Toby Jones

Director: John Curran

Director: John Curran
Screenwriter: Ron Nyswaner
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Studio: Warner Independent

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

May 8, 2007

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Painted Veil

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
05/13/09
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
NPR.org

This stab at grand romance fails to satisfy.

Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | comment Comment
08/28/08
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com

Norton's effect and Watts' able portrayal are not enough to move the misogyny of the narrative.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
06/21/08
Matthew Sorrento
Film Threat

Contents itself with making the Maugham work less prissy.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
06/10/08
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It's a wallow and I confess to wholeheartedly enjoying the plunge.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
06/08/08
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald

Concealed passions are revealed as life takes unexpected turns and what initially seems like an act of vengeance becomes the making of the central characters

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
04/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

The Painted Veil has a real pulse. It sweeps you up in the characters' journey from the beginning, and keeps you riveted from moment to moment.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
05/07/07
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

...a finely crafted product that can hardly fail to touch one's heart.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
05/07/07
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
05/05/07
Philip French
Observer [UK]

click for review

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
05/03/07
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

John Curran controls the redemptive spirit of Maugham's book with merciful restraint, and gets excellent performances all round.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
04/27/07
Anthony Quinn
Independent

Wonderful scenery, great performances and a superb story.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
04/27/07
Daily Mirror [UK]

A great pleasure!

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
04/27/07
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

Stunning scenery and superior thesping result in a period romance that combines the intimate with the epic.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
04/27/07
Neil Smith
Total Film

The problem isn't that it's painful to endure, but that it's a rather easier watch than it should be.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
04/27/07
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph

Combine a strong-limbed narrative about marital frustration with a painstaking account of the British imperial presence in 1920s China.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
04/27/07
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]

If the cholera doesn’t get you, the dialogue will.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
04/27/07
James Christopher
Times [UK]

An exquisitely drawn character piece.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/27/07
Channel 4 Film
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Painted Veil

February 25, 2008: Amazon Partners With Fox for First Foray Into Movie Biz
Not satisfied with being your one-stop shop for nearly everything under the sun, Amazon.com is moving into the movie business. More...

December 14, 2007: Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe Wright's Atonement leading the pack at eight nominations apiece. More...

September 11, 2007: Toronto Film Fest: Ang Lee's Lust, Caution Reviewed
Among the higher profile entries in Toronto, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution had a particular notoriety coming in; not only were fest-watchers waiting to confirm or contradict the early... More...

August 17, 2007: Scarlett Johansson Adds Frank Miller's The Spirit To Busy Slate
With a Hollywood strike looming, folks in the industry are locking down projects as quickly as they can -- including Scarlett Johansson, who, The Hollywood Reporter tells us,... More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for The Painted Veil

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
79%
79%
Gran Torino
30%
30%
12 Rounds
23%
23%
Confessions of a Shopa…
—
The Code
39%
39%
Inkheart

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
22%
22%
Push
12%
12%
The Unborn

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

What’s Hot On RT

Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry

Pt. 3: Cuaron's darker Prisoner of Azkaban

Best Mockumentaries

Best Mockumentaries

From Borat to Spinal Tap, this one goes to 11

Humpday Clip

Humpday Clip

An exclusive peek at the indie comedy!

Half-Blood Prince

Half-Blood Prince

How good is the 6th Harry Potter?

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: T.J. Hooker Film in Development
38
  • Warners Shortens Green Lantern Wishlist Source: Hollywood Reporter
128
  • Harold Ramis Talks Ghostbusters 3 Source: MakingOf.com
42
  • Spider-Man 4 Gets Its Third Writer Source: Latino Review
60
  • Warners Wins Favorable Ruling in Superman Case Source: Variety
20
  • Remo Williams Rides Again Source: Risky Biz
10
  • Mortal Kombat 3 Filming in September? Source: Slashfilm
82
  • MacGruber Gets a Director Source: Variety
39
  • PG-13 Turns 25 Source: VideoETA
8
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
92
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
78
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
67
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers and Ice Age Tie for Top Spot
59
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
53
  • Total Recall: Mock Docs That Rock
45
  • Critics Consensus: Bruno is Certified Fresh
43
  • Five Favorite Films with Kathryn Bigelow
39
  • Tomatometer Watch: How Good is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?
39
  • RT on DVD: Knowing, Push, The Unborn Unleashed
28
  • Five Favourite Films with Jaime Winstone
20
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
0
  • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
10
  • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
2
  • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
5
  • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
10
  • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
24
  • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
5
  • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
11
  • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
7
  • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
7
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Painted Veil at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Painted Veil at IGN
  • The Painted Veil at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno External Link

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles
Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles External Link

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

A Baywatch Comedy?
A Baywatch Comedy? External Link

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.