Saturday, January 06, 2007

The Painted Veil

I met John Curran at the Newport Film Festival a few years ago. He was there for a screening of his film We Don't Live Here Anymore. Pleasant, smart and low-key, he and I had a brief chat about how he had enjoyed his visit to Newport. The Painted Veil is his latest work.

Beautifully shot, this story takes place in China in the 1920's. A British doctor and his reluctant wife, are based in Shanghai. They travel to rural China to help treat a cholera epidemic. The story is interesting, the emotional involvement is deep and the end satisfying. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts play the couple, very subtle and intense. As the film progresses, their characters grow and they show what world class actors they are. The film starts out quiet, thoughtful and subtle, and ends up emotional, sexy and powerful. I was impressed with this romantic drama.

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