Anna And The King [1999] - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

this fails like alexander

This is a very dull film, I wasn't entered at all and I was hoping it would end soon half way through. This film deserves two stars mostly because of the poor plot and lack of any chemistry between the two main actors. Jodie foster's performance is especially poor, she's like a washed out little mouse, brings nothing new to the character of Anna Leonowens and was pretty irritating on screen. The only redeeming factor was Chow Yun-Fat as the king, he played the character really well.

Don't waste your hard earned cash on this, buy the musical instead!

Anna and the King

This is a fabulous film. History, romance, action, intrigue, it has it all.
The quality is excellent. I was pleased with the service and delivery. I play this frequently, so I hope I don't wear the dvd out. I would recommend this to anyone who likes these historical drama's. It will have you sighing, angry, crying, and on the edge of your seat. Totally engrossing!!!!
pam

Visually splendid

It is a hard act to follow when the original The King and I with Yul Brunner and Deborah Kerr was so admired. This version has much to recommend it though. Visually it is absolutely beautiful with rich costumes, magnificent scenery and stunning sets. And Jodi Foster brings the same feisty spirit to the role as Deborah Kerr notably did. This is more dramatic, and less "musical" than the original. It benefits from the advances in film making which make it very luscious and rich. A wonderful experience in escapism.

Slightly disappointing

Despite a lavish and costly production with dozens of elephants and a purpose built set this film feels too long and doesn't grip. Jodie Foster plays the part impeccably but her character is hard to like and there is no chemistry between her and the King. The story is a bit formulaic and left me feeling flat. Although it strains to achieve a sense of the period and an exotic location there is something stagey and stiff about this film.

Foster excels

One thing that should be noted about Foster's performance is her deftness in playing an English woman. There are only three well-known actresses who can successfully portray characters with different accents than their own. One is Gwyneth Paltrow, the second is Meryl Streep and the other is Jodie Foster. These rare and very enviable skills can be seen most clearly in Shakespeare In Love, Out of Africa, and Anna and the King, respectively. Foster is perfect as the widowed English mother who takes upon herself the task of educating the King's many children.