30 September 2007

The Painted Veil

Having recently bought you news of a film not to see (Amazing Grace, scroll down a bit), I can now counter myself by a positive recommendation: The Painted Veil (2006; out on DVD), based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Forget all the pyrotechnics and special effects, there is nothing like a movie based on a good book. (Atonement being a recent case in point.) The Painted Veil is produced by the two main actors, Naomi Watts and Edward Norton.

The title of the book is taken from Percy Bysshe Shelley's sonnet "Lift Not The Painted Veil Which Those Who Live." Here's a brief plot summary from Wikipedia: Shallow and lost Kitty marries the intellectual and passionate Walter Fane, bacteriologist, who is madly in love with her. Kitty has an affair with the "perfect" Charles Townsend, assistant colonial secretary of Hong Kong. When Walter finds out of their affair, he leaves Kitty with an ultimatum. Heartbroken, Kitty decides to accompany Walter to the cholera-infested mainland of China.

30 Sep 2007 20:46:51 | Film

2 Comments

James

Hi Maxine - I really enjoyed this film as well - thought it was most elegantly shot, acted and told. It had the right mixture of dilemma, character, setting and melodrama, I thought. James

Posted by: James | 01 October 2007 at 12:24

Susan Balée

Hey, Maxine -- I loved this movie, though Somerset Maugham is not my cuppa. Edward Norton is stellar and Naomi Watts really rose to the occasion, too. A tale very well told and lushly visual. Made the most of the plot and the opportunities provided by the visual medium.

Can't wait until "Atonement" makes it into our theatres. For one thing, I've got a crush on that canny young Scot, James McAvoy!

Posted by: Susan Balée | 01 October 2007 at 15:26

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