The Painted Veil

I watched The Painted Veil this weekend and really enjoyed it. In fact, I enjoyed it more than the book. The film deviated fairly significantly from the book...where the book was more conceptual, the film added some plot elements that fleshed out the era and the characters. Kitty was a more sympathetic character in the movie-- she was more apologetic for her transgressions and seemed to come around to loving her husband, Walter, as well as her situation. The movie did not go into so much detail on Waddington, ironically the only character I liked in the book. There was more a threat of nationalistic uprising in the movie-- something not touched upon at all in the book, although likely an accurate concern for the time period (China, 1920s).
The highlight of the movie was the scenery. The movie was filmed on location in China, and the deep mist filled moutains and rivers are truly beautiful.
In short, this movie stands on its own. It is a different from the book and each deserves an audience. Netflix rating 5/5.