Greetings again from the darkness. This is a surprisingly wonderful adaptation of the W Somerset Maugham novel. Maugham passed away many years ago, but in his time was an incredibly famous and popular playwright and novelist. His best known work is probably "The Razor's Edge". Part of the surprise is the beauty of the film since it is directed by John Curran, who has no directing credits to his name since 1995's excellent "Babe, the pig". Curran's eye and talent are on full display here with the aesthetics of 1920's China and the devastation of cholera.

The story is simple, but oh so elegant. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts are a very odd couple whom circumstances bring to an ill-conceived marriage. They are quite the odd couple and not the least bit charming together, even in the good moments. Norton stumbles on an affair between Watts and Liev Schreiber and the next thing we know Norton and Watts are on a two week journey into the depths of a Chinese jungle where a devastating cholera epidemic is occurring. The horrible situation brings out the best in each as people and finally as a couple. Along the way, their lives are impacted by two rather odd acquaintances, Toby Jones (off his fine turn as Truman Capote) and the long lost Diana Rigg as the Mother Superior at the local orphanage.

The story is tight, interesting and believable ... all signs of a terrific writer. The acting is worthy of such fine material and direction. Mr. Norton is wonderful as the quietly simmering bacteriologist who lacks interpersonal skills and warmth until the tragic environment brings about self-discovery. Ms. Watts continues her amazing run of top-caliber performances and is one of our top 3 actresses today. She is so subtle at times that it is easy to take her skills for granted. Mr. Schreiber, Mr. Jones and Ms. Rigg are all excellent in their roles and lets hope that Ms. Rigg will continue to bless us with her screen magic. It has been 40 years since she was the sexy Emma Peel from "The Avengers", but her presence on the screen is very welcome and needed.

There is a haunting score that continues throughout the film and some tremendous piano work credited to Lang Lang. The mood of the music and the film setting work together to deliver the effect of reading the novel as we watch the film. Quite a knockout for director Curran, who hopefully will not now disappear for the next decade!

"The Painted Veil" is a remake of a Greta Garbo film of the same name and both are based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham...though the 2006 version sticks closer to the original story. The theme is redemption and reminded me in some ways of Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim".

Kitty (Naomi Watts) is rich and spoiled. Her mother is upset that Kitty is now 25 and should have married and settled down long ago...and the family pressures her to marry Dr. Fane (Edward Norton). The marriage is not initially a happy one. Kitty is spoiled and selfish and soon embarks on an affair with Mr. Townsend (Liev Schreiber). The husband finds out and gives her an ultimatum--either divorce him and marry Townsend or accompany him to a rural part of China to help with a Cholera outbreak. Considering Townsend never had any intention of marrying Kitty, her choice is simple and she follows her husband.

The marriage is very cold at this point. However, over time you see that it's not just because of Kitty's infidelity but because the Doctor is emotionally constricted and has great difficulty connecting with his wife. Over time, they slowly begin to rebuild trust...and then fate strikes.

The film is lovely, as unlike the original, this one was filmed in China. Add to that some terrific direction, lovely music and terrific acting. The only things I should note is that the film is a bit slow and the ending rather depressing...but if you are a person who is willing to give the film time and don't insist on a Hollywood ending, you're in for a treat.

The Painted Veil takes place in Kuomintang China during the early twenties. The interesting thing about this film is that it was done in China and it popularizes the government that the Chinese Communists over threw in 1949. More and more China is surely getting away from the Marxist ideology of Mao Tse-tung.

Edward Norton and Naomi Watts are a British couple in China during the Twenties occupying one of several areas carved out by foreign powers. He's a doctor and deep in his work. The bored Naomi gets into an affair with Liev Schreiber and she's caught by her husband Norton.

Soon afterward Doctor Norton is assigned to a remote area where cholera is raging. Watts accompanies him and is treated coldly, but the work he does and the loneliness of the place brings them together.

The Kuomintang was the name of a political party founded by Sun Yat-sen and they had the goal of eventually expelling foreigners. China for the Chinese as it should have been. China was hardly a unified country at that time, in fact Norton and the Kuomintang head in the area Anthony Wong Sang Chau have to deal with a local warlord of which there were many. You can see his kind portrayed in such films back in the studio era as the Shanghai Express and The General Died at Dawn.

After Sun Yat-Sen died in 1925 the Kuomintang party and government was taken over by Chiang Kai-shek. By that time the Chinese Communist party had been founded and besides Marxism, the Chinese Communists portrayed the Kuomintang as not going far enough in getting rid of foreign spheres of influence. So for the current Chinese government to portray the Kuomintang favorably is really quite a statement.

One of the key scenes is Anthony Wong Sang Chau telling Ed Norton that while he appreciates the medical assistance it doesn't necessarily have to be with westerns guns backing it up. There aren't in fact too many western guns around in this remote region.

Other noteworthy performances are that of Toby Jones as a British agent and Diana Rigg as the Mother Superior of a convent in the area who aid Norton in fighting the cholera. There were a lot of good and bad missionaries in China, Rigg is showed as one of the very best.

W. Somerset Maugham wrote the novel on which the film is based. The Painted Veil is helped by the actual location cinematography in China and the landmark cooperation of the Chinese government in bringing this touching story to the screen.