The Painted Veil

When I was a poor and impoverished student in upstate NY, my housemate Sonja would sometimes cut me in on her dogsitting jobs as she worked at a local vet and would often look after some of the dogs when their family was away. This is how I met Ron Nyswaner - he went away to visit his family in Georgia and i would spend my time looking after his dogs, lying in his hammock on his porch and listening to Nina Simone. He got me an Olympics t-shirt when he came back and was very kind to me. When Mr G came to visit me in a fiancee type of way, we used to help out in local plays that some of the jobbing actors, including Ron, from New York city who lived up our way would put on in the local community. One spooky Halloween, when the crunchy leaves were on the ground, Mr G and I were carving pumpkins for a production of Dracula when he nearly cut his finger off and I had to take him to emergency! Ick! We remember the time we spent with them so fondly - they were all so nice to us - and we were really pleased when Ron went on to write Philadelphia (starring Tom Hanks) and was nominated for so many screenplay awards. So we are pleased to see him back on the big screen adapting the Somerset Maugham novel and can't wait to see The Painted Veil (starring Ed Norton). Please let me know if you have seen it and what you thought. The title of the book comes from a poem by Shelley:

Lift not the painted veil which those who live

Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,

And it but mimic all we would believe

With colours idly spread,--behind, lurk Fear

And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave

Their shadows, o'er the chasm, sightless and drear.

I knew one who had lifted it--he sought,

For his lost heart was tender, things to love,

But found them not, alas! nor was there aught

The world contains, the which he could approve.

Through the unheeding many he did move,

A splendour among shadows, a bright blot

Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove

For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.