the painted veil
I'm a sucker for period pieces and adaptations of the works of great writers because they always have fantastic lines, even if they're not delivered quite as well as they could be. I like Edward Norton but I was a bit disappointed with his performances in both this and The Illusionist, mostly because they're one note: Edward Norton being shy, serious, earnest, or angry all kind of look the same. the most interesting things about the movie were the Chinese resistance against colonialism and the clash between tradition and modern medicine, and the whole thing would have benefited from a greater emphasis on these issues and less on the inconsequential and unbelievable human dramas. Naomi Watts wasn't quite up to the part, but she wasn't absolutely awful either. unfortunately, I missed the significance of the title. anyone know what it means?
posted by moviequyn @ 8:48 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
the consensus of critical opinion, according to rotten tomatoes, is "Norton's and Watts's deft portrayals give the film a modern-day spark." some have said it is her best work since mulholland dr, which would mean better than her oscar-nominated 21grams. more than up to it, but everyone has a right to his/her own opinion.
the painted veil comes from a shelley poem. lift the painted veil called life & you get the truth.
of course this adaptation of maugham is meant to be an art film w/superb acting, not for a mass audience.
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