So far I've not been able to watch more than the first few scenes. Not owing to any gruesome horror, but because I feel I've seen this film many times before. I stopped at the scene in the Chinese theatre. When Liev Schreiber's character tells Watts about the theatrical plot, he is so obviously telling her what she feels about her mistaken marriage, it is the writer and director choosing to verbalise rather than let the characters show through their actions and emotions. Too clumsy and obvious to generate real feelings in me at least.

A British medical doctor (Ed Norton) fights a cholera epidemic in a small Chinese village, while being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife (Naomi Watts).How this all came together is interesting and not in the order you might expect. Actor Edward Norton became involved with the project in 1999. Norton explained his attraction to the project, "It's very much a story about people getting beyond the worst in themselves and figuring out how to look at each other honestly, forgive each other for their failings and get to a better place... When I read it, I was very affected by it because in it I saw my own failings." The actor suggested casting Naomi Watts for the role of Kitty, which did not happen until Watts proved herself a bankable star with her performances in Mulholland Drive (2001) and 21 Grams (2003). When Watts joined the project, she recommended director John Curran, with whom she had collaborated on the 2004 film We Don't Live Here Anymore.Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It was shot beautifully, and it captured the imperfections of humanity. Watts' character has clear moral failings, but in some ways, so does Norton's. Rather than release his wife, he keeps her trapped... to what end? Surely he gets no joy from this. I could do without the love scenes, but I suppose that is to be expected in a film about infidelity.Initially, the cholera outbreak and Asian-English relations are sort of background elements, but it is interesting how they ultimately become bigger in their own way. How Watts and Norton interact is somewhat less important than how either of them interact with the cholera patients...

"The Painted Veil" is a drama movie in which we watch a British doctor who is going with his wife to China in order to fight a cholera epidemic. But in this fight another one will come out as he will find out that his wife is unfaithful.I really liked this movie because it represents very well the truth about this very serious epidemic which destroyed many villages and killed so many people. The direction which made by John Curran was very good and because of this many things which I believe was important shower in a very nice way. Edward Norton who played as Dr. Walter Fane was for one more time simply outstanding and the same I can say about the interpretation of Naomi Watts who played as his wife.Lastly I believe that "The Painted Veil" is a very nice movie which combines very well drama with romance and shows us what a person has to get through in order to become better. To become better person not only for the others but also for himself.

It's 1925 China. Kitty (Naomi Watts) and her dull husband Dr. Walter Fane (Edward Norton) are traveling into the interiors for him to study infectious diseases. In flashbacks, their marital troubles are revealed. Kitty found him lackluster at first but her mother threatened to cut her off. In China, she had an affair with the dashing married diplomat Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber). She wanted a divorce and run off with Charlie but Charlie won't get a divorce himself. The question is if the couple can reconnect in the Chinese wilderness in revolutionary times. The only neighbors are the Deputy Commissioner Waddington (Toby Jones) and his Chinese woman. A guard is assigned to her as foreigners face threats.This is not the sappy romance as one would expect. It is darker than at first glanced. Walter doesn't start in the best light and neither does Kitty. Their reconciliation is something slowly earned. The major drawback is that the couple needs more time together and the movie is a bit too long. Cholera is not necessarily the most sexy thing and she has no good way to get into that part of the story.