Screening Log: The Painted Veil (2006)

February 14, 2008

I’m not sure why this film disappeared without a trace… Edward Norton and Naomi Watts give Oscar-caliber performances of tremendous subtlety. Most of the action in this movie happens beneath the surface– Watts’ ennui leading to a more unwise-than-usual affair, Norton’s simmering anger at her and at himself for having loved her at all, and a rare, realistic look at how these emotions play out amidst the spectacle of cholera ridden, pre-revolution (just) China. Powerful and beautiful, with an ending that betrays how different our standards have become when it comes to closure in film vs literature.