What's a director to do? Andy Tennant's previous film was the highly enjoyable Cinderella romance Ever After, which vanished from theaters and became a video hit. Then Tennant made this gorgeous, nonmusical version of Anna and the King, and once again felt the sting of box-office failure. Both films deserved better, and this Anna is certain to eventually find the appreciative audience that eluded it in theaters. In many ways, this delightful costume romance transcends the latter-day quaintness of The King and I to offer a more lavish and rewarding version of the story of Anna Leonowens, based on her diaries and first told in Margaret Landon's 1944 novel. In an otherwise admirable performance (although many felt her miscast), Jodie Foster struggles with her Victorian accent as Anna, the grieving widow who arrives in Siam in 1860 with her young son. Having accepted a post as tutor for the many children of the polygamous King Mongkut (Chow Yun-Fat), Anna finds herself drawn to the progressive monarch, whose passions swirl in a turbulent political climate. If the chemistry isn't entirely there, this culture clash still has plenty of regal charm, and Luciana Arrighi's production design is appropriately magnificent. Humor and politics are given equal measure, and Chow Yun-Fat is arguably the most endearing king to date--powerful yet tender, forceful but anguished by the heavier burdens of leadership. Bai Ling's intense performance as the tragic lover Tuptim adds emotional depth to one of the most underrated films of 1999. --Jeff Shannon

Based on the diary writings of English widow Anna Leonowens, who journeyed to Siam in 1862 to tutor the children of King Mongkut, this is a grand, epic motion picture that recalls the Hollywood days of yore (see 1946's ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM and 1956's THE KING AND I for earlier screen adaptations). Yun Fat delivers a heartwarming performance that should finally earn him star status in America, and Foster is, as always, a magnetic screen presence. Their relationship, which is sparked by a just-beneath-the-surface romantic undercurrent, propels the story forward and provides it with its emotional core. As the film builds to its exciting climax, the relationship between the two is tested even further.

The romance between the King of Siam and a widowed English schoolteacher, Anna Leonowens, set during the 1860s.

Artist(s):

FEATURE FILM

Director:

Andrew Tennant

Producer:

Lawrence Bender; Ed Elbert

Screenwriter:

Steve Meerson; Peter Krikes

Studio:

Fox; Andy Fox

Editor:

Roger Bondelli

Director of Photography:

Caleb Deschanel

Author:

Anna Leonowens

Costume Designer:

Jenny Beavan

Production Designer:

Luciana Arrighi

Duration:

142

Weight:

123g

Age Restriction:

12

Subtitles:

Czech\Danish\Finnish\Hebrew\Hungarian\Icelandic\Norwegian\Polish\Portuguese\Swedish

Video Encoding:

16:9 Wide Screen\2.35 Wide Screen

Audio Encoding:

Dolby Digital 5.1

Release date:

27/11/2000

Colour format:

Colour

Imported Product:

Import

Zone:

Region 2

Rating:

12

"...The year's most comic, romantic and haunting film fantasy....Burton is a true movie visionary with uncommon insights into hearts in torment..."

1991-01-10 00:00:00
Rolling Stone

"...Undeniably gratifying....Foster moves gracefully in period costumes and commands the screen charismatically..."

1999-12-06 00:00:00
Variety

Directors Commentary. Music Video. Featurette. Theatrical Trailer. Interactive Menus. Scene Access. Multiple Language Subtitles.