I had high expectations as I walked into the theater to see Anna and the King, only to be pleasantly surprised as they were exceeded. Wonderfully acted and filmed, this movie takes you deep into it's era and characters.
Jodie Foster plays Anna, an english school teacher summoned for by the king to teach his son. She does an excellent job portraying a very strong (and somewhat stubborn) english woman who has been weather by many circumstances. Chow Yun-Fat plays the king, also quite stubborn himself, and brings a certain tenderness to the role one wouldn't usually expect. Their interaction creates intense moments, as well as genuinely thought provoking circumstances.
The story and movie bring up many questions of morality that even someone with strong opinions would have to ponder. Seeing the world through the eyes of others is what Anna and the King both find themselves confronted with... and the results spill over to the audience. With intermingling of the Buddhism practiced by the natives, and the English Christianity, even religion is touched with out actual resolve. Allowing the viewer to think for themselves.
All the actors, especially all the children, servants, and locals that were portrayed, did a wonderful job. Many scenes were intense in romanticism, some underlying comedic moments were found. A few scenes of fighting, war, and/or violence also set the tone for the era. The scenery was breath taking and made you feel the boldness she encountered in Siam.
All in all I felt it was a spectacular film. Especially when it took a dramatic twist I wasn't expecting towards the end... leaving me at the edge of my seat once again!
Epinions Note: This movie is listed twice here at Epinions: once under "generic movies" as Anna and the King 1999, and once appropriate with the rest of the movies as Anna and the King. I have contacted them in this regards. Once the two areas are merged, I will remove one of my duplicate reviews (each placed only once under each title.)
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