Metacritic Movie Ratings
The Painted Veil Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 88

  out of 100

  USA TodayClaudia Puig

  The Painted Veil is a welcome addition to the slate of holiday movies, particularly for those drawn to intriguing tales of multi-dimensional characters in exotic settings.

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• 83

  out of 100

  Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum

  The always surprising Watts creates a woman at once contemporary and retro. And Norton, as a producer as well as star, concedes enough space for Schreiber and the effortlessly fascinating Jones to earn their own spotlights.

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• 70

  out of 100

  The New York TimesManohla Dargis

  Whether through craft or constitution, Mr. Norton invests Walter with a petty cruelty that makes his character's emotional thaw and Kitty's predicament all the more poignant.

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• 70

  out of 100

  The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt

  The film is unusual in that it is a co-production with the Chinese. Whatever difficulties this imposed on the Western filmmakers, the reward is a period film that feel authentic to its time and place.

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• 60

  out of 100

  VarietyTodd McCarthy

  Intelligent scripting, solid thesping and eye-catching location shooting aren't enough to make a compelling modern film of The Painted Veil.

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• 60

  out of 100

  Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano

  The Painted Veil has all the elements in place to be a great epic, but it fails to connect, to paraphrase Maugham's contemporary E.M. Forster, the prose with the passion. It's impeccable, but leaves you cold.

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• 50

  out of 100

  Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern

  Terrific actors give glum performances.

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