Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Movie Review: The Painted Veil


I loved The Painted Veil starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, co-starring Tobey Jones and Liev Schreiber in W. Somerset Maugham's story of betrayal, growth and forgiveness set in 1920s China. This film is one of those rare attempts, mostly successful, to show how people fail each other and how they can mature and learn to forgive.

All the acting in this film is first rate. The only bone I have to pick, is that I found Edward Norton's English accent unconvincing . I'm no Henry Higgins, but it drives me up the wall that even fine American actors can't develop a believable British Accent, while Aussies, Kiwis and Brits sound like they're from Flatbush or Savannah at will.

Naomi Watts is outstanding, in a role that any serious actress would tumble for. Tobey Green, fresh from impressing the hell out of me in Infamous, shines brilliantly again. Is there no end to fine actors from the British Empire?

By all means see it if you've grown weary of Blades of Glory genre of film making.

No comments: