The Painted Veil (2006 movie)

Just finished watching The Painted Veil (click this link to see the preview). I think it's a beautiful story. A woman got married for all the wrong reasons, got into an affair with another man, yet in the end they reconciled. Most of the movie is set in China with beautiful mountainous backgrounds. It also reminds me of how devastating cholera was at one point in time. It also gives me some glimpses of the political situation and culture in China. (Hey, I may be of Chinese descendant, but I never set foot in China!)

There is one sentence from the movie that stood out like a beacon on a foggy, stormy day. It was when a nun said this:

"But when love and duty are one,
then GRACE is within you."

Funnily enough, after watching Premonition and The Painted Veil, I'm reminded of how precious life is. That our lives on earth is so short. That life is to be cherished every single moment. That we shouldn't take anything for granted, especially our loved ones as they may die sooner than you think.

I recommend this movie to anyone. ;-D But bear in mind that it's a bit long, around 2 hours so make sure you have plenty of time to watch it he he he...

Summary of the book by Somerset Maugham:

Shallow and lost Kitty marries the intellectual and passionate Walter Fane, bacteriologist, who is madly in love with her. Kitty has an affair with the "perfect" Charles Townsend, assistant colonial secretary of Hong Kong. When Walter finds out of their affair, he leaves Kitty with an ultimatum. Heartbroken, Kitty decides to accompany Walter to the cholera-infested mainland of China.