Gary's Movie Reviews and Ratings

1999 Movie Chart

1999 Movie eAwards

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Anna and the King (1999) = 50 =

This is the fourth movie version of the ever popular story based on the diaries of Anna Leonowens, the English woman who travelled to Siam (now Thailand) to tutor the children of the King. The previous versions were 1946's Anna and the King of Siam (starring Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison), 1956's The King and I (Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner), and 1998's animated The King and I.

This version features Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat in the title roles, but this time there are no Rodgers and Hammerstein musical numbers. Foster is in good form, as usual, playing the headstrong English widow, still missing her husband, who stands up for her beliefs and traditions while being open minded enough to embrace the culture of her new home. Chow Yun-Fat does a capable job as the king who wants what is best for his family and his country but is not used to having anybody question his authority, let alone a foreigner, let alone a woman.

The scenery is stunning (even though it was filmed in Malaysia, not Thailand), and the musical score is sufficiently epic sounding to complement the rest of the on screen action. The palace is well detailed, as are the costumes (the story is set in the 1860s).

Where I found this film to be lacking was in the flow of the narrative and the development of the characters. Apart from the political background and the antics of the royal children, this story is about the culture clash between the two title characters and the way this is resolved with the respect and love that develops between them. In this film it all seemed a little easy and the impact of the culture clash was diluted right from the start when Anna boldly marched into what looked like a highly important diplomatic meeting and demanded that she be given a nicer house outside the palace walls (it is difficult to believe that any head of state even today would put up with such insolence). Other than a few outbursts, the King tolerates Anna's brassiness too easily, reducing the potential for any dramatic tension to develop. The fact that he calls her 'the equal of a king' within the first 45 minutes makes you wonder what more she could possibly achieve.

This is all a shame because it makes the 2 hours and 20 minutes seem very long and it spoils the good impressions we get from the actors and the setting.

A beautiful looking movie that unfortunately lacks substance.

F.A.Q.

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  Director: Andy Tennant  
  Starring: Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat, Bai Ling, Geoffrey Palmer
  Date seen: 11 December 1999  
  Last Updated 12 December 1999  


Contact Gary at harbourboy@geocities.com

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