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The Painted Veil

Play trailer 2:05 Poster for The Painted Veil PG-13 Released Dec 20, 2006 2h 5m Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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74% Tomatometer 142 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Caught in an affair with another man (Liev Schreiber), a scientist's callow wife (Naomi Watts) accompanies her husband (Edward Norton) to mainland China in the 1920s to fight a cholera epidemic. There, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads to an unexpected chance at redemption.
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The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil

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Critics 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.

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Critics Reviews

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Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald It's a wallow and I confess to wholeheartedly enjoying the plunge. Rated: 4/5 Jun 8, 2008 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) John Curran controls the redemptive spirit of Maugham's book with merciful restraint, and gets excellent performances all round. Rated: 4/5 Apr 27, 2007 Full Review Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) The problem isn't that it's painful to endure, but that it's a rather easier watch than it should be. Apr 27, 2007 Full Review Heather Huntington ReelzChannel.com This stab at grand romance fails to satisfy. Rated: 6/10 Aug 28, 2008 Full Review Matthew Sorrento Film Threat Norton's effect and Watts' able portrayal are not enough to move the misogyny of the narrative. Rated: 2.5/5 Jun 21, 2008 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Contents itself with making the Maugham work less prissy. Rated: C+ Jun 10, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jelisije J An old school romantic movie where a a spoiled immature cheating wife reconciles with her estranged husband in a time where China is experiencing an outbreak of cholera. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/20/24 Full Review chitown2bayarea A flawless masterpiece. Definitely one of my favorites! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/24 Full Review tom e At the top of my list of all-time favorites. Having spent many years in China I have a certain bias, but the lush cinematography of the beautiful country side and the clear-eyed depiction of the poverty that exists side by side is also reflected in the extreme cruelty and the beauty of grace and forgiveness that makes the film, for me, unforgettable. The music and the score are equally lush and beautiful and at times foreboding and dreadful, but equally unforgettable. Well done. Also, the ending is a great improvement over the ending of the original 1934 version of the film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I looked at some of the reviews here before watching the movie and was surprised at some of the views, as they don't seem to fit my impressions of the novel. The book is a masterpiece in many ways. For some reason the ending is completely changed in this adaptation, which very much dilutes the lasting message of the story - that of a woman who becomes independent and wants to do something to change the world, so that women would not have to go through the same struggles that she did. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member (Spoilers) This is a movie I have a love/hate relationship with. It's beautifully directed, the actors are all amazing, a wonderful movie all around. It's just such a painful end... I want this romance to survive... Her pain at the end is palpable. She finally loves him, and he's dead... It makes you wish Walter survived... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review kevin c Edward Norton plays a doctor who is asked to assist with a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village and takes along his unfaithful wife, played by Naomi Watts, who's not exactly pleased to be there. Performances from Norton and Watts alone is worth watching the film for, luckily the story is good as well. Liev Schreiber and Toby Jones costar. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Painted Veil

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Caught in an affair with another man (Liev Schreiber), a scientist's callow wife (Naomi Watts) accompanies her husband (Edward Norton) to mainland China in the 1920s to fight a cholera epidemic. There, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads to an unexpected chance at redemption.
Director
John Curran
Producer
Edward Norton, Sara Colleton, Jean-François Fonlupt, Mark Gill
Screenwriter
Ron Nyswaner
Distributor
Warner Independent
Production Co
Stratus Films
Rating
PG-13 (Disturbing Images|Brief Drug Content|Partial Nudity|Some Mature Sexual Situations)
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 20, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.0M
Runtime
2h 5m
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