Take the Time to See a Really Good Film

ANNA AND THE KING—Starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.

I thought that no movie about the life of Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut of Siam could parallel my old time-honored favorite, The King and I.  And so it was with trepidation that I let my mind entertain other characters in these roles, especially that sacredly held for Yul Brynner, who played the King onstage until his death from lung cancer in 1985.  But Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat weaves its own magic.  It does not replace the old one, but makes a beautiful story that is quite different from the 1956 classic which starred Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.

Based on the diaries of Anna Leonowens, Anna and the King plays down the anti-slavery motif espoused in earlier film, in favor of a theme based on the military alliances of Britain and Siam.  It still centers its main story on the education of the royal Siamese family in the Ways of the West, and the conflict of ideologies held by the king and the schoolteacher.  Jodie Foster gives the kind of flawless performance we have come to expect from her.  While I missed the immortal scenes of “Shall We Dance,” and Brynner’s complete command of the stage—“et Cetera, et Cetera…” (you remember…)  this 1999 version actually has more heart rending scenes and had me in tears in more places.  It has beautiful cinematography, opulent splendor, breathtaking outdoor scenes.

The 147 minute film has left me drowsy and bleary from crying.  Those are good things, to a romantic like me and this movie is loaded with romance.  It's really a wonderful film.  If you like romantic films, here is a beautiful gem.  Don’t miss it.

8:37:37 PM