Painted Veil, The

Aroview: Haunting tragi-romance unveils the lives of a young English couple whose relocation to Shanghai and history of infidelity force them to re-examine their isolating relationship.

Sans chemistry, Watts and Norton – as mismatched spouses posted to a remote, Cholera-affected Chinese province – are charged with bridging their characters’ incompatibility and discord, with the film hinged crucially on the plausibility of their love. While cynics might require convincing, old romantics will feel right at home amongst the exotic locations, lush cinematography, and fatalistic backdrop of political turmoil and impending war. Curran’s soft-spoken direction also distinguishes this apart from more bombastic close relatives.

Based on the W.Somerset Maugham novel, and originally adapted for the screen in 1934 starring Greta Garbo.

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