Who's in It: Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Toby Jones, Diana Rigg
The Basics: He loves her, but she cheats on him. And that means it's revenge time! Because he's a doctor, he decides to take a job in a middle-of-nowhere village in China (ha!) that's being destroyed by a deadly epidemic (HA!). That'll show her!
What's the Deal? You know what I can't get enough of? Period films like this that are like watching paint dry. I could watch them all day. I know I complain about movies like The Good Shepherd being boring, but I'll never complain about these Merchant Ivory-ish productions where everyone's having tea and being scandalized by something. It might be the cool old clothes or the vintage Anglophilia of it all, but I'm seriously a fan. This movie might even suck from an objective standpoint, and I might not know it. That's how much I dig the genre. But I don't think this one sucks at all.
What's More? I can't stand Norton, either, unless he's getting Brad Pitt's fist pounded into his face (Fight Club); it's like you can always see him trying hard and acting all over the place. But I didn't want to run screaming from him here. Thanks for not bugging me so much, Edward Norton. Keep being in period movies like this, and we'll remain friends.
Get Historical: You might also want to investigate the 1934 Greta Garbo version of this movie. It's totally different, of course, but you don't want people to think you're a doofus for not knowing it exists.
For Fans Of: Tweed, antiques, emotionally distant lovers, hats on both sexes.