What Do The Critics Say?

"Curran has succeeded in conveying the emotional elements of the story without sagging and to maintain a tone of suspense throughout, all built on character. The spectacular, unique locations do no harm, either, the lighting is masterful and Desplat's score is understated but evocative. Satisfying and haunting, The Painted Veil is a film for grown ups who enjoy exploring the human condition." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE "For filmgoers who long for the days when adventurous filmmakers such as David Lean placed fascinating, flawed characters in sweeping, historic settings, The Painted Veil is a most welcome motion picture. I don't suggest that The Painted Veil is old-fashioned. Instead, I'd say it's classic." Jack Garner ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE "Stunning scenery and superior thesping result in a period romance that combines the intimate with the epic. Bears all the hallmarks of a highbrow literary adaptation of the Merchant Ivory school." TOTAL FILM REVIEWS "A movie for sophisticated adults...a sensitively nuanced story (with) exceptional performances by Norton and the gorgeous Watts with captivating cinematography and locale." Tony Medley TONYMEDLEY.CO "This adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel contains more anger and sexuality; altogether more passion, than other beautifully appointed period films of its class." Carla Meyer SACRAMENTO BEE "The Painted Veil has a real pulse. It sweeps you up in the characters' journey from the beginning, and keeps you riveted from moment to moment. It’s inconceivable to me that Naomi Watts didn’t get an Oscar nomination as Best Actress. We’ve reached a point where so many movies come out every single week that some regrettably never get the focus or attention they deserve. This is one of them. The two leads are nothing short of superb." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT M

"Stuart Dryburgh's cinematography is stunning as is the sense of time and place that Curran achieves in his spectacular Chinese locations. The pace may be leisurely, but the emotions are explosive in this tense romance that captures all the nuances of an absorbing melodrama." Louise Keller URBANCINEFILE "The production values are characteristically sumptuous, William Daniels' photography is lustrous, and Boleslawski directs with suitable flair. Stuart Dryburgh’s rich cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s voluptuous score ensure that "The Painted Veil" is never less than a beautiful object." Jessica Winter TIMEOUT "A rich and resounding picture of love lost and regained. 2006's most romantic movie." Thomas Delapa BOULDER WEEKLY "Provocative and highly emotional. Watts and Norton are sensational." Victoria Alexander FILMSINREVIEW "Exquisitely filmed and finely acted." Connie Ogle MIAMI HERALD "The acting is quite splendid, especially in the vicinity of the quite splendid Watts." Michael Phillips CHICAGO TRIBUNE "An absorbing study of love in all its colors, from passion to rage and from heartache to ecstacy." James Sanford KALAMAZOO GAZETTE "Superb performances and elegant production values make it profoundly involving." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "The always surprising Watts creates a woman at once contemporary and retro. And Norton, as a producer as well as star, concedes enough space for Schreiber and the effortlessly fascinating Jones to earn their own spotlights. The evocative scenery, captured by cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh ("The Piano"), trembles with an appreciation for China's hard beauty." Lisa Schwarzbaum ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

The Inside Story In the autumn of 2004, Edward Norton once again telephoned Naomi Watts about playing Kitty Fane in "The Painted Veil". This time, he was determined to enlist the actress. For five years, Norton, screenwriter Ron Nyswaner and producer Sara Colleton had been developing an adaptation of W Somerset Maugham’s 1925 novel, and they were hoping to finally get it produced. Unfortunately, Watts, a 2004 Best Actress Oscar nominee who had also recently completed roles in "The Ring Two" and Marc Forster’s "Stay", had just finished a grueling eight-month shoot in Australia for "King Kong" and wasn’t eager to begin another film. "I was tired, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to work again for at least that part of the year," she admits. "I spoke to Naomi toward the end of 2004," says Norton. He remembers saying to Watts, "Look, we could both do this next summer. Let’s really put our heads together and think of a director we’d be excited to work with. Let’s do it." After speaking at length with the persuasive Norton, Watts recalls, "Suddenly my promise to myself about not working went out the window. I always knew this book would make a great film." It had been a long journey, however, to get to this point. The film began its road to the big screen in 1995 when screenwriter Ron Nyswaner began looking for his next project. Nyswaner had written the screenplay for the seminal 1993 film Philadelphia, which had gone on to receive widespread acclaim and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay and the films star Tom Hanks, the first of his two Oscars. "I’ve been intrigued by Maugham’s work ever since I saw "Of Human Bondage" as a kid," the writer explained. This of course was the film adaptation of Maugham’s most famous book, which starred Bette Davis and Leslie Howard in its 1934 incarnation. "I was fascinated by the melodramatic story of obsessive love. I went through his books one by one, and I finally read The Painted Veil. It was this book of Maugham’s that haunted me more than any other." In a conversation with producer Sara Colleton ("Riding in Cars with Boys"), Nyswaner referenced "The Painted Veil" as one of his favorite books. Colleton revealed that she had in fact spent the last year trying to secure rights to the book with the Maugham estate. It was destiny. "We talked about Maugham’s book and how it deals with the topic of sexual love versus spiritual love more honestly than any piece of literature today," Colleton recalls. "We both knew then that we really wanted to make the film version." In fact Maugham, who was born in Paris in 1874 but grew up in England, spent years as a medical student before becoming one of the twentiethth century’s most popular novelists. Nyswaner admired the way this particular story by the author transformed from one about revenge into one about redemption. "On the surface, the story is direct and dramatic: a man with a broken heart seeks to punish his adulterous wife. The journey of this ill-matched couple is fraught with sexual and psychological tension. The story takes a surprising twist, however, as the characters come to see themselves' and each other, in a new light; the psychological thriller becomes a spiritual journey." After three years of intense rewriting and development, during which producer Jean-François Fonlupt ("Simpatico") was also brought on board, Colleton and Nyswaner sent the script to Edward Norton. Norton’s first impressions of the 1999 script were overwhelmingly positive. "Ron adapted it wonderfully," Norton remembers. "I thought it was a great piece of writing." Despite Norton’s fondness for the script, he says, for various reasons "We couldn’t get the film made at that time." Norton move on, making his feature film directorial debut, "Keeping the Faith". That title ultimately sums up Norton's commitment to "The Painted Veil". Late in 1999, Norton, as he did with "Keeping the Faith", came onboard as a producer which injected the project with new vigor. "Edward worked ceaselessly, year after year, to guide this project towards production," praises Nyswaner. The two collaborated for the next six months on the script in an effort to, in Norton’s words, "liberate it from the novel a little bit. We wanted to open it up to China somewhat and to create a romantic transcendence in the film, which doesn’t exist in the novel, and take the Walter-Kitty relationship farther." Norton, who had studied Chinese history as a Yale undergraduate, was a valuable resource for Nyswaner during the rewriting process. "It was with his inspiration and guidance that I began to explore the work Walter does in China, which is completely absent from the book," notes Nyswaner. Naomi Watts, who was one of the first people interested in the project recalls that Norton was attached to the project, but there was no director at that time. "I fell in love with the script from my first read. I thought it was an incredible love story and a wonderful character. Kitty was clearly the first thing that drew me to the story," the 2004 Australian Film Institute Global Achievement Award winning actress said. "At first, she just floated by and took whatever came to her. She had no deep inner life and nothing tangible to put herself into. She never really made choices." But despite Watts's unequivocal enthusiasm about the character and the project, even then, "It wasn’t set up properly to go into production," she says. In 2001, Bob Yari ("Crash" & "The Illusionist") and Mark Gordon ("The Matador" & "Casanova") became involved as did Mark Gill ("Frida" & "Under The Tuscan Sun"), who at the time was president of Gordon and Yari’s Stratus Film Company. When Gill left to create Warner Independent Pictures in autumn 2003, he took the film with him and continued to shepherd it with the assistance of Stratus Film's Robert Katz ("Seabiscuit" & "Hostage"). Watts admits "It’s been a long journey. Edward has been involved for six years, and I’ve been attached for four. It’s great that at the last minute it came together, and all the right elements fell into place." One of these elements was John Curran who was tapped for the directors job. His name came up during conversations between Norton and Watts. She has just done "We Don’t Live Here Anymore" which Curran (who had moved to Australia in 1986) helmed. "John is fantastic to work with," raves Watts. "John and Naomi already had a great history," says Norton, " so it was one of those really lucky breaks." "We wanted this movie to be distinctly Chinese. We didn’t want it to look like a film that you could shoot in Canada or Mexico or Italy," says Curran. "We were determined to find a place in China that was right for the tone of the film; both beautiful and gothic, that accommodated both personalities of the story." Location scouts covered nearly five thousand miles all over China in about ten days looking for an area that had an ancient town in close proximity to a river and mountains. The location also had to be near modern facilities that could house cast and crew and support a production office. The scouts looked around Hunan, but settled on Guangxi Province in Southern China. "The production was centered in Gui Lin, a city in Guangxi, because we felt the area and its mountains created the right mood," says Curran. Gui Lin, one of China’s most picturesque cities, sits along the Li River and is surrounded by majestic, verdant hills. At first, the production considered building the village of Mei-tan-fu in a valley in Guangxi. Everyone soon realized the amount of work required to accomplish this task was overwhelming. "We sent out a scout, and he found this innocent little village called Huang Yao that was completely untouched," says line producer Antonia Barnard ("The Quiet American"). "It had no telegraph poles or anything. It was perfect for the period." "We secured four locations in China, which I’m not sure any other Western film has attempted to do before," Barnard ("Bootmen") who also co-produced the film, notes. Once it was confirmed that the film would shoot in China, the filmmakers began cultivating a relationship with the China Film Bureau. "Other Western films have shot here, but not in conjunction with the China Film Bureau as far as I know," Norton explained. "It’s the first Western film about China to be shot in China in a long time." Curran points out "we didn’t just come down here and shoot the film and get out. We actually worked with the Chinese and the China Film Bureau. It will be released as a Chinese film in China." 2005 Venice Film Festival Biografilm Award winner and Laterna Magica Prize recipient Liev Schreiber (Charlie Townsend) notes, "The prospect of telling a story in China was very exciting. There is nothing better than having that credibility of place and culture and character." 2007 ALFS Award winner Toby Jones ("Infamous") was cast asDeputy Commissioner Waddington, an eccentric, free-spirited Brit whom the couple befriends in Mei-tan-fu. He described the film as "a period drama, but it’s also a story of forgiveness and redemption." Anthony Wong was cast as Colonel Yu. Norton was full of praise for the Chinese actor. "Anthony has such gravitas and an ability to communicate without a lot of words. He brought so much to this character." Fashion model Yu Lin who was cast as Waddingtons beautiful lover, was thrilled to be working in her native China. "I was so happy. I grew up in a village similar to one we filmed in," she explained. "It’s my country and my language. It’s my people." Full marks must go to Norton for his strength, patience and commitment to the project. "There were many times in the course of the six years that I’ve been working on this project that I felt it was never going to happen," he confessed. "It was worth the wait because when it finally clicked, it clicked with the right people. We made a strong collaborative team." Synopsis

Kitty is an upper class London socialite closing in on an age when a proper lady must find a husband. To remain unwed much longer would be highly unbecoming, not to mention humiliating for her exceedingly socially conscious mother, whose veiled threat that Kitty's father won't always be able to support her financially comes as a shock. Kitty is even less impressed when she overhears her mother telephone conversation in which she proudly announces her youngest daughter is now engaged to be married to a man with position. Bored with her privileged lifestyle anyway and yearning for escape, Kitty accepts a proposal of marriage from Dr Walter Fane, a quiet, serious bacteriologist who moves the new couple to Shanghai. While Walter dedicates himself to his work and to his new wife, the neglected Kitty embarks on an adulterous affair with Vice Consul Charles Townsend. When Walter learns of her indiscretion, he accepts a job in the remote cholera ravaged, Chinese village of Mei-tan-fu. In an act of revenge, he forces a despondent Kitty to accompany him. Kitty is shocked. Walter is determined she will pay for her indiscretion.

The Verdict "This is a film for lovers of sumptuous, beautiful, intelligent, cinema, presented in a style reminiscent of Merchant Ivory productions. The cast are superb. Watts, who looks stunning with her hair dyed a dark shade, gives a performance that is guaranteed to win the hearts of cinemagoers. That first view of Edward Norton, tall, lean and immaculately presented, gives one the impression you are looking at a young James Cromwell. The scenery and settings are magnificent, as is the haunting 2007 Golden Globe and World Soundtrack Award winning soundtrack composed by Alexnadre Desplat and featuring piano 'superstar', Lang Lang. In fact the music is so stunning you'll probably want to rush out and buy the CD the moment the credits stop rolling. Yes, it's that good. I must admit, I found it hard not to shake my head in disbelief that it took so long to get the film into cinemas, and I'm not refering to the near decade spent from start to completion. Curran's direction ensures that "The Painted Veil" never falters. Norton is to be commended for never losing faith in the project. A film that is to die for. Irrisistible! 4 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "THE PAINTED VEIL" stars .......
Saturn Award winner Naomi Watts ["Ned Kelly", "Le Divorce" and "Stay"]; Boston Society of Film Critics Award winner Edward Norton ["Primal Fear", "Rounders" and "Kingdom of Heaven"]; Toby Jones ["Amazing Grace", "The Mist" and "St. Trinian's"]; Anthony Wong ["All About Love", "On the Edge" and "The Sun Also Rises"]; Yu Xia ["The Law of Romance", "Electric Shadows" and "Shanghai Rumba"] and Liev Schreiber ["The Hurricane", "The Sum Of All Fears" and "The Manchurian Candidate"] as Charles Townsend.
"THE PAINTED VEIL" was .......
directed by 1998 FIPRESCI Award winner John Curran ["Down Rusty Down", "Praise" and "We Don't Live Here Anymore"]; screenplay by Ron Nyswaner ["Mrs Soffel", "Love Hurts" and "Philadelphia"]; costume design by Ruth Myers ["L.A. Confidential", "Connie and Carla" and "The Golden Compass"]; production design by Juhua Tu ["The Assassin"]; director of photography Stuart Dryburgh ["In My Father's Den", "No Reservations" and "Nim's Island"]; original music by Alexnadre Desplat ["The Queen", "Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium" and "The Golden Compass"]. Who's Who?

Naomi Watts Edward Norton Toby Jones Anthony Wong Lu Xia Bin Li Liev Schreiber Gesang Meiduo Cheng Shihan Diana Rigg Alan David Maggie Steed Lucy Voller Marie-Laure Descoureaux Juliet Howland Li Feng Catherine An Sally Hawkins Lorraine Laurence Johnny Lee

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Kitty Fane Walter Fane Waddington Colonel Yu Wu Lien Te-Ming Charlie Townsend Amah Warlord Kwei Mother Superior Mr Garstin Mrs Garstin Doris Garstin Sister St Joseph Dorothy Townsend Sung Ching Hostess Mary Sister Maryse Angry Chinese Man

Run Time 123 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.