Our take
Based on the novel of the same name, The Painted Veil is more interested in its romance than the history behind it, so no one should go in expecting in-depth commentary on the British presence in Shanghai during a cholera pandemic. That being said, the film does really well in depicting that romance. It’s beautifully shot, with lovely sets and costumes of a bygone era, and a score that hits all the right notes for the time. However, it’s the cast that makes the journey so worthwhile. Naomi Watts embodies Kitty’s domestic frustration that it’s easy to empathize with her despite her faults, while Edward Norton’s performance had us in tears, especially towards the end. This historical drama is more drama than history, but it’s a good drama nonetheless.
What it won
Golden Globes
1 nom
Spirit Awards
2 noms
Nat. Board of Review
2 wins
LAFCA
1 win
The story
A British medical doctor fights a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village, while also being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife.
Elsewhere
"Field of Dreams sustains a dreamy mood in which the idea of baseball is distilled to its purest essence: a game that stands for unsullied innocence in a cruel, imperfect world."
— Variety Staff
A British medical doctor fights a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village, while also being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife.
The details
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
