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The Painted Veil
Gabriel García Márquez's take on cholera outbreaks involved a hint of love despite the disease's ravages. W. Somerset Maugham, on the other hand, opted to leave that notion out of his own cholera-epidemic-
themed novel. This adaptation of the latter's work, about a straying former socialite (Naomi Watts) whose doctor husband (Edward Norton) moves with her into the epicenter of an outbreak in China, starts by focusing on the effects of a spouse consumed by jealous rage.
Norton's refined callousness makes for a study in cruelty every bit as discomfiting as a modern-day torture film. Though it features exquisite photography in a meticulously re-created period, and fine acting, the only good reason to watch the first half of The Painted Veil is to prepare for the second half, in which a pair of note-perfect performers are finally given more than one note to play.
Watts' awakening to the plight of the locals and the softening of Norton's heart are beautifully spun character arcs that almost—almost—make you wish they could escape the fate this tragedy has in store for them. What's finally achieved, if not a happy ending, is at least an ending you can be happy for.
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