"THE PAINTED VEIL" (2006) (Naomi Watts, Edward Norton) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Heavy Heavy *Moderate Mild Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Minor None Mild None Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Mild Extreme Heavy Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: An adulterous, 1920s era wife must contend with being forced by her angry husband to accompany him to a remote Chinese village where he hopes to treat cholera victims. PLOT: It's 1925 China and Walter (EDWARD NORTON) and Kitty Fane (NAOMI WATTS) have arrived in a remote village afflicted with cholera. He's a bacteriologist who wants to find a treatment and/or cure for the disease, while she's a socialite who married him only to avoid becoming a future spinster. Neither is happy in their relationship since she recently had an affair with Charlie Townsend (LIEV SCHREIBER), the English Vice Consul. As her punishment, Walter has forced her to accompany him to his latest post where she finds herself amongst disease-ridden villagers, with nothing to do, and British Deputy Commissioner Waddington (TOBY JONES) as their only neighbor. With tension between the Chinese and British being quite high, the situation is volatile for the foreigners, with military officer General Yu (ANTHONY WONG) assigning a bodyguard for Kitty just in case things should come to a head. Her interest, however, eventually turns to the local orphanage and the nun who runs it, the Mother Superior (DIANA RIGG). As she becomes involved with the kids there, Kitty begins to realize the error of her self-absorbed ways, as well as the importance of what Walter is trying to do. From that point on, she experiences a rebirth amongst all of the death around her. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some mature sexual situations, partial nudity, disturbing images and brief drug content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: NAOMI WATTS plays a selfish woman who marries Walter only to avoid becoming a spinster, ends up having an affair with Charlie, and then suffers when Walter makes her move with him to his latest post. Bored with her existence, she eventually opens her eyes regarding what's occurring around her and the work of her husband, and decides to do what she can to help both. EDWARD NORTON plays a dedicated bacteriologist who punishes his adulterous wife by forcing her to accompany him to a remote village where he hopes to find a treatment and/or cure for the outbreak of cholera there. He drinks to the point of intoxication in one scene. LIEV SCHREIBER plays the married English Vice Consul who has an affair with Kitty but won't leave his wife for her. DIANA RIGG plays the nun who runs the local orphanage and allows Kitty to become involved with their work there. ANTHONY WONG plays a Chinese military officer assigned to work with Walter. He doesn't appear happy assisting the foreigner (due to strained British/Chinese relations), but does his job. TOBY JONES plays a British Deputy Commissioner who's adopted a laidback lifestyle with his Chinese lover and opium use. He befriends Kitty and helps open her eyes about what's occurring around her. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this period drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity is minimal and only a few colorful phrases are uttered. Several sexual encounters are seen (with movement and sounds) or implied after early activity is noted, while some brief nudity is also present. Violence consists of some people fighting, other scuffling (including a gang of men chasing after a woman) and a man briefly getting physical with his wife. That's a result of her cheating on him and plenty of related tense family material is present, as are other bad attitudes. Various people are afflicted by and/or die from cholera (with resultant scatological material), and some discolored body parts are seen sticking out of fresh graves, all of which might be unsettling for some viewers. Some drinking and smoking occurs, as does what appears to be opium use. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Miscellaneous people have drinks at a party (Kitty takes one from a tray but doesn't have any that we see). Charlie tells Kitty that she needs a drink. We see liquor in a decanter on a table. Meeting Walter and Kitty, Waddington asks, "Anyone for a cocktail?" and we then see the three of them drinking. Walter's assistant makes him a martini, and we see then see Walter stumble home and eventually fall backwards into an empty bathtub (with Kitty commenting on him being drunk). Waddington has a drink. Walter states that they're out of whiskey, so he goes over to Waddington to borrow some, but sees him and his lover messing with something on the table that may be opium (they're acting somewhat high). We then see Walter and Waddington drinking, with the woman having a drink and then handing one to Kitty who guzzles it down. The next morning, both Walter and Kitty have hangovers. BLOOD/GORE We see patients who are sick and dying from cholera, with holes in the beds for bodily fluids to pass into pots below (Walter nearly vomits from his first sight and/or smell of that) and we see unspecified fluids pouring down into one such pot. Kitty finds a dead body on the street and nearly touches it, but Waddington stops her. Walter spots a gray-colored hand sticking out of a freshly dug grave near a river (thus meaning cholera is spreading into the water). We see an infant's vomit on Kitty blouse. We see many wrapped corpses, and a pair of bluish feet sticking out from one. A bodyguard has a red mark on his cheek after being knocked to the ground. We see Kitty suddenly feeling ill and then apparently vomiting (we see her bent over, but don't see or hear anything -- all from her being pregnant). A miscellaneous boy has a bloody cut on his face. A man vomits from having cholera and then does so again. We see bluish human feet as they're being covered up with dirt in a grave. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Kitty's mother puts pressure on her to get married, saying that time can run out (for a woman to get married), and asks Kitty how long she imagines her father is going to support her (causing Kitty to storm out). Later, Kitty returns home to hear her mother on the phone, talking of Kitty's sister, and then telling the caller that she (the mother) has given up on Kitty. Kitty cheats on Walter with Charlie. Walter tells Kitty that he's going off to fight cholera and that she's coming with him. When she says she isn't, he says he'll then file for divorce listing Charlie as her lover. When she tries to walk away, he grabs her by the arm, throws her down to a chair and tells her he'll kill her if she interrupts him again (he's mad because he knows she's been having an affair with Charlie). Kitty lies to Charlie about what Walter knows of their affair, and then learns that Charlie won't divorce his wife for her. Waddington asks about Walter and Kitty being inoculated against cholera, with the look on Kitty's face suggesting she hadn't heard about that (thus making her think Walter wants her to catch it). There's talk of British forces shooting and killing 11 Chinese, thus prompting anti-foreigner sentiment. Some young men chase after Kitty as she's been carried through the streets on a palanquin. Her bodyguard tries to intervene, but the mob knocks over the men carrying the sedan chair, thus spilling Kitty to the street and knocking the bodyguard over (he has a red mark on his face). Kitty then tries to flee, but runs into another angry mob and then tries darting down an alley, only to find herself cornered. Walter then bursts through the crowd to defend her, but as he starts to scuffle with a few, we hear a gunshot (a warning shot) and then see the bodyguard holding his pistol on the crowd that then allows Walter and Kitty to leave. Kitty spies on Waddington and his lover in bed (lying on their sides, face to face, with Waddington's hand on the woman's bare back). They hear and then see Kitty and Walter looking in, but then go back to what they were doing. A nun equates her relationship with God as that of a marriage where He's disappointed her and that they now lead a life of peaceful indifference (some viewers might not like the reference or attitude). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Walter tells Kitty that he's going off to fight cholera and that she's coming with him. When she says she isn't, he says he'll then file for divorce listing Charlie as her lover. When she tries to walk away, he grabs her by the arm, throws her down to a chair and tells her he'll kill her if she interrupts him again (he's mad because he knows she's been having an affair with Charlie). Walter and Kitty move into a rundown house above a remote village, with Walter telling Kitty he wouldn't touch a doll she's holding if he were her, adding that the former residents may have died in the bed above which she's standing. He then adds (since he's mad at her for having an affair) that she can have that room. Walter explaining that with cholera you lose all bodily fluids, and die a messy and painful death from dehydration within 36 hours of contracting it. Kitty finds a dead body on the street and nearly touches it, but Waddington stops her. Some young men chase after Kitty as she's been carried through the streets on a palanquin. Her bodyguard tries to intervene, but the mob knocks over the men carrying the sedan chair, thus spilling Kitty to the street and knocking the bodyguard over (he has a red mark on his face). Kitty then tries to flee, but runs into another angry mob and then tries darting down an alley, only to find herself cornered. Walter then bursts through the crowd to defend her, but as he starts to scuffle with a few, we hear a gunshot (a warning shot) and then see the bodyguard holding his pistol on the crowd that then allows Walter and Kitty to leave. Walter tries to stop sick refugees from entering the village, while those in the village race to confront them. There's some brief fighting and we hear the sound of gunshots. A woman receives word that her husband is sick. She races to his side where she learns he has cholera and that the village is running out of saline that's used to keep the victims alive. She then sees him die, and then watches as dirt is thrown onto his body in a quickly dug grave. GUNS/WEAPONS Soldiers carry rifles. We see a drawing of a Chinese person holding a bayonet-equipped rifle at another person. Walter tries to stop sick refugees from entering the village, while those in the village race to confront them. There's some brief fighting and we hear the sound of gunshots. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "This is a bloody scrape we're in," "Damn them," "Imperialist pig" and "That's bloody exciting." JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A mild amount of dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 damn and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "My God," "Oh God" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY After they're married, Walter knocks on Kitty's door (she's in bed reading), asks if she's comfortable, and then she motions for him to come over to the bed (she's in a slip, he in his pajamas). They then passionately kiss, he nuzzles on her neck and he asks if he should turn off the light (prompting her to ask why -- she knows, she's just doesn't think the light needs to go out). But he turns it out and the scene ends there, implying sex. We hear sexual sounds, see the bed sheets moving rhythmically near the floor and then see Kitty rhythmically moving while having sex in the woman-on-top position (we see her bare back). A noise at the door, however, gives her pause, causing Charlie to sit up, shirtless. Later, as Charlie gets dressed, we briefly see the top of his bare butt while she's in a robe in bed. She later learns she's pregnant from this or another related encounter. A young woman comes out of Waddington's house in the morning, suggesting she was there for sex. Later, Kitty goes looking for him and sees that same woman in his place, shirtless (seen from the side with her long hair covering any side view of her chest). Kitty spies on Waddington and his lover in bed (lying on their sides, face to face, with Waddington's hand on the woman's bare back). They hear and then see Kitty and Walter looking in, but then go back to what they were doing. Walter and Kitty then return to their home where he watches her start to undress. She then drops her dress (she's in her slip), the two passionately kiss and he nuzzles on her neck, and we then see a head and shoulders view of them on the bed (him on top). Sex is implied. The next morning, he tries to be quiet while getting up, and we see him holding a sheet over half his crotch (we see a bare hip and nearly the crotch area). As he then walks away, we see several views of his bare butt (while she's still in bed holding a sheet over her chest). SMOKING Charlie smokes several times, while some miscellaneous characters smoke (cigarettes and cigars) in several scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Kitty's mother puts pressure on her to get married, saying that time can run out (for a woman to get married), and asks Kitty how long she imagines her father is going to support her (causing Kitty to storm out). Later, Kitty returns home to hear her mother on the phone, talking of Kitty's sister, and then telling the caller that she (the mother) has given up on Kitty. Walter tells Kitty that he's going off to fight cholera and that she's coming with him. When she says she isn't, he says he'll then file for divorce listing Charlie as her lover. When she tries to walk away, he grabs her by the arm, throws her down to a chair and tells her he'll kill her if she interrupts him again (he's mad because he knows she's been having an affair with Charlie). Walter and Kitty move into a rundown house above a remote village, with Walter telling Kitty he wouldn't touch a doll she's holding if he were her, adding that the former residents may have died in the bed above which she's standing. He then adds (since he's mad at her for having an affair) that she can have that room. Waddington asks about Walter and Kitty being inoculated against cholera, with the look on Kitty's face suggesting she hadn't heard about that (thus making her think Walter wants her to catch it). Waddington comments on Kitty's housekeeper as having lost three kids and her husband to cholera. Kitty wonders when Walter will stop punishing her, asking about him despising her so much. He then says he despises himself for allowing himself to love her once. Kitty tells Walter she's pregnant, but when he asks if it's his, she says she doesn't know (but he then says it doesn't matter now). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Cholera. Affairs. Kitty's mother puts pressure on her to get married, saying that time can run out (for a woman to get married), and asks Kitty how long she imagines her father is going to support her (causing Kitty to storm out). The notion that it's silly to put much effort into something you know is going to die (specifically referring to flowers, but meant thematically for bigger issues). The fact that Kitty only married Walter to get away from her overbearing mother. The locals' superstitious view about cholera, death and the dead. Walter's comment that none of them are in China without a reason, stating that the nuns are there to convert the children into Catholics. A nun equates her relationship with God as that of a marriage where He's disappointed her and that they now lead a life of peaceful indifference. A woman receives word that her husband is sick. She races to his side where she learns he has cholera and that the village is running out of saline that's used to keep the victims alive. She then sees him die, and then watches as dirt is thrown onto his body in a quickly dug grave. VIOLENCE Walter tells Kitty that he's going off to fight cholera and that she's coming with him. When she says she isn't, he says he'll then file for divorce listing Charlie as her lover. When she tries to walk away, he grabs her by the arm, throws her down to a chair and tells her he'll kill her if she interrupts him again (he's mad because he knows she's been having an affair with Charlie). There's talk of British forces shooting and killing 11 Chinese, thus prompting anti-foreigner sentiment. Some young men chase after Kitty as she's been carried through the streets on a palanquin. Her bodyguard tries to intervene, but the mob knocks over the men carrying the sedan chair, thus spilling Kitty to the street and knocking the bodyguard over (he has a red mark on his face). Kitty then tries to flee, but runs into another angry mob and then tries darting down an alley, only to find herself cornered. Walter then bursts through the crowd to defend her, but as he starts to scuffle with a few, we hear a gunshot (a warning shot) and then see the bodyguard holding his pistol on the crowd that then allows Walter and Kitty to leave. Walter tries to stop sick refugees from entering the village, while those in the village race to confront them. There's some brief fighting and we hear the sound of gunshots. Reviewed November 13, 2006 / Posted December 29, 2006

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