2006-01-04
*** 1/2 Another win for Pedro Almodovar.  Beautiful portrayl of the lives of women, both real and surreal at times.  Not as many twists and turns as in some of his previous movies such as "Talk to Her", this story is told in a straightforward narrative manner; in this case, less is more.

Volver means "coming back."

2006-01-06
*** More captivating than I thought it would be. Beautiful photography of Chinese landscapes. Naomi Watts performance was outstanding; she is really able to project subtle changes in character and emotion. Edward Norton was ok; his stiffness and weak accent were acceptable at the beginning of the story, but he was weak on portraying the changes in his character.

Micki says the book is much different; e.g., in the book, Walter's sexuality is ambiguous; the movie does not tell the story of Kitty's return to England.
Book review:
From Library Journal
Shallow, poorly educated Kitty marries the passionate and intellectual Walter Fane and has an affair with a career politician, Charles Townsend, assistant colonial secretary of Hong Kong. When Walter discovers the relationship, he compels Kitty to accompany him to a cholera-infested region of mainland China, where she finds limited happiness working with children at a convent. But when Walter dies, she is forced to leave China and return to England. Generally abandoned, she grasps desperately for the affection of her one remaining relative, her long-ignored father. In the end, in sharp, unexamined contrast to her own behavior patterns, she asserts that her unborn daughter will grow up to be an independent woman. The Painted Veil was first published in 1925 and is usually described as a strong story about a woman's spiritual journey. To more pragmatic, modern eyes, Kitty's emotional growth appears minimal. Still, if not a major feminist work, the book has literary interest.