`Excellent film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham novel set in the 1920s about an English bacteriologist (Edward Norton) who, after he learns of his bored socialite wife's (Naomi Watts) infidelity, vengefully insists she accompany him to a remote Chinese village during a dangerous cholera epidemic there, and how, over time, they establish a deep and abiding love, with the wife even volunteering to minister to the sick at the local hospital run by nuns. Lushly photographed on location, the film -- under John Curran's direction -- unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the intelligent love story at its core, and the spiritual journey and ultimate redemption for its heroine, are movingly conveyed, with impressive, nuanced performances by the leads, as well as by Diana Rigg, Liev Schreiber and Toby Jones. A brief scene of lovemaking with shadowy nudity, a flash of rear nudity, innuendo, adultery, images of the sick and dying, drug use and a few crass expressions. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2006
"The Painted Veil" (Warner Independent) is the latest film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel set in the 1920s about an English bacteriologist, Walter Fane (Edward Norton), who woos and quickly wins the hand of socialite Kitty (Naomi Watts, following in the footsteps of Greta Garbo in the 1934 original), whose family despairs that she will ever marry.
Walter takes her to live in Shanghai, where she is quickly bored, disappointed by her husband's romantic prowess, and falls for the married English Vice Counsel Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber), with whom she quickly commences an affair.
After he learns of Kitty's infidelity, Walter vengefully insists she accompany him to a remote part of China during a dangerous cholera epidemic there. She refuses and runs to Charlie, hoping he'll leave his wife and marry her. But now, as Walter knew he would do all along, Charlie -- citing his position -- declines.
Off to the remote, stricken village go Walter and Kitty, with Walter cold as ice and Kitty understandably frightened. But eventually, partly thanks to the intercession of their simpatico neighbor, Deputy Commissioner Waddington (Toby Jones), who seems to see the goodness within Kitty, she learns to stop mooning over Charlie and volunteers to minister to the sick at the hospital run by a colony of nuns and their mother superior (Diana Rigg).
Walter soon observes the change in her, and responds accordingly, leading them to finally establish a deep and abiding love.
Lushly photographed on location, the film -- under John Curran's direction -- unfolds at a leisurely pace, but the intelligent love story at its core and the spiritual journey and ultimate redemption for its heroine are movingly conveyed.
Norton and Watts (both of whom have producer credits here) give impressive, nuanced performances, as do the others.
The film contains a brief scene of lovemaking with shadowy nudity, a flash of rear nudity, innuendo, adultery, images of the sick and dying, drug use and a few crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.