The Painted Veil
2006, Romance/Drama, 2h 5m
144 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
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. Read critic reviews
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The Painted Veil Videos
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Kitty Fane
Walter Fane
Charlie Townsend
Mother Superior
Leona
Waddington
News & Interviews for The Painted Veil
Critic Reviews for The Painted Veil
All Critics (144) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (107) | Rotten (37)
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May 13, 2009 | Rating: 5/5 -
It's a wallow and I confess to wholeheartedly enjoying the plunge.
June 8, 2008 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
John Curran controls the redemptive spirit of Maugham's book with merciful restraint, and gets excellent performances all round.
April 27, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
The problem isn't that it's painful to endure, but that it's a rather easier watch than it should be.
April 27, 2007 | Full Review… -
Combine a strong-limbed narrative about marital frustration with a painstaking account of the British imperial presence in 1920s China.
April 27, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
If the cholera doesnâ(TM)t get you, the dialogue will.
April 27, 2007 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for The Painted Veil
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Oct 08, 2015The Painted Veil has the ingredients of a great film, including cinematography (alternatively lush and parched) and high-caliber actors. I admired the potraiture of people as people -- complex, determined, adaptable. I would recommend it for a view on these counts alone. The film is lacking in a few respects. The plot does not drive the film but complicates it. The politics involved with the military, villagers, warlords, etc. are distracting and prevent the emotional tensions between the two main characters from playing out in the foreground. The lack of a memorable scoring contributes to the overall lack of emotional punch to the movie. Still, it is an interesting story and is visually gorgeous, so the Painted Veil is, nonetheless, worth a look.Robert B Super Reviewer
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Jun 21, 2013The environment is richer than the characters: first flaw. Consequently, you do not care about the relationship of the protagonists: second flaw. The cinematography and some moments of believable language accuracy cannot save this relationship from drowning into film oblivion and being killed by cholera. Yet, this serves as one more proof that Naomi Watts is an actress capable of pulling off complicated roles. Except in King Kong. 62/100Edgar C Super Reviewer
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Mar 21, 2011A movie I was completely unaware of, and therefor surprised by... very pleasantly surprised by. It gets a little montage-y toward the end, and the odd shot is clumsy, but Norton and Watts are outstanding in this adaptation of Somerset Maugham's classic. A fine, exotic historical romance - see it!Daniel P Super Reviewer
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Jan 09, 2011The Painted Veil. Well produced, but without purpose. I think by tomorrow I will have forgotten most of the plot of The Painted Veil. Not that it was extremely boring (though it kinda was), I just didn't see what was so astonishing or different about a couple who never loved each other until the last ten minutes of the movie. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts were very convincing, but I didn't find their characters very compelling. "Oh, she's cheating on the husband that she so obviously has no feelings for... meh." In fact the word "meh" can describe most of this movie, namely the scenes involving the love story and cholera epidemic (oh wait, that's the whole movie). I know this is harsh, but I've heard such good things about The Painted Veil, and I felt like it didn't deliver. The book might be a classic, but the film seems highly overrated to me. Why 30%? I'll lay down the math. 10 points for Edward Norton, 10 points for the sometimes mediocre but still artistic cinematography, and then 10 more for the couple of scenes that demanded emotional involvement. Extra: It takes a lot for me to not like a film with Edward Norton. If you're reading this, and would like to find solace in a compelling Norton performance, go for American History X. It was early on in his career, but he's amazing in it. Yes, I'll also recommend Fight Club.Luke T Super Reviewer
The Painted Veil Quotes
| Kitty Fane: | As if a woman ever loved a man for his virtue. |
| Mother Superior: | When love and duty are one, then grace is within you. |
| Kitty Fane: | If no one spoke unless they had something to say, the human race would lose the power of speech. |
| Walter Fane: | It was silly of us to look for qualities in each other that we never had. |
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