John Curran's film pits Kitty Fane (Naomi Watts) in a loveless marriage with Walter Fane (Ed Norton), a bacteriologist.  Actually, it is only loveless on her part.  Walter is smitten from the day he meets her.  Kitty has only agreed to marriage for financial stability.  There is also the added bonus of proving to her mother that she is not undesirable by worthy men.

Soon after their marriage, Kitty is embroiled in a steamy love affair with Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber).  He is also married, but vows to leave his wife when the time is right.  Neither of them does a very good job of hiding their midday rendezvous.  Walter is soon on to Kitty's infidelity and he confronts her with it.

When an ugly divorce is threatened, Kitty feels blackmailed into venturing into a Cholera plagued Chinese village along with her doctor husband.  He demands that she accompany him as a punishment.  When Charlie back-peddles on his promise to leave his wife, Kitty relents to Walter's demand.

Deep in the heart of China, surrounded by disease and poverty, the unhappily married couple avoid each other at every opportunity... both seething with contempt and resentment.  Walter busies himself with the vital medical work at hand.  Kitty barely staves off insanity from the insurmountable boredom of doing nothing from morning to night.  Eventually, she tries to rekindle the contact with her remote husband.  She tries to instigate small talk.  She tries to help out at the local hospital and orphanage.  She tries to regain what she once unknowingly had -- a loyal, trusting, loving husband.

The cast is incredible, primarily bolstered by the two leads, Watts and Norton.  You would be hard-pressed to find a more gifted acting couple in any film in recent memory.

Norton plays Walter as a stoic man, unsure about the rules of passion and the needs of women.  He is devoted to his important work and lacks the gene that would allow him to loosen up and have fun.

Watts' Kitty is a playful girl, who finds more joy in games and innuendo -- a woman for whom passion is a must.  She struggles to find it in Walter and makes the youthful mistake of seeking it in someone else.  This film follows her journey -- one where she learns that loyalty can only be repaid with loyalty... where trust can only be earned with time... where love is more than just a passionate afternoon roll in the hay.  This film only strengthens my notion that Naomi Watts is one of the five most talented actresses of this last decade.  I cannot think of anyone I'd rather watch on the big screen.

"The Painted Veil" is gorgeous to behold... a sweeping epic romance with spectacular visuals, a lovely score, an attractive cast who are uniformly excellent... and a story that really strikes a truthful chord.  Somerset Maugham's intricately balanced story is typically fascinating from open to close.

The only thing that shades the film short of greatness is the hurried final act.  I would have been utterly delighted to see the film extended for another thirty minutes.  That would have been more than enough time to give the ending the care and detail it so richly deserves.  The story earns its 125-minute running time with room to spare.

Still, this love story is one that many people will appreciate.  It was lost in the shuffle of a busy December, but it should pick up a number of fans on DVD.  It is one of the most thoughtful and elegant films of 2006.  Make a special effort to see it.