Anna And The King DVD > Reviews > Anna and the King personal view

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Great storyline, fantastic acting and good action shots
Disadvantages:	Will not please die hard King and I fans

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Directed by Andy Tennant, (Sliders, Ferris Bueller, The Amy Fisher Story, Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure)

Featuring, Chow Yun-Fat as King Mongkut (Bullet Proof Monk, The Corruptor, The Replacement Killers) - Jodie Foster as Anna Leonowens (Panic Room, Contact, Nell, Silence of the Lambs)

The Film is based on the diaries of Anna Leonowens, who died in Canada, Quebec from a stroke in 1915.

I think this is better than the original (King and I) despite my fondness of musicals. The acting is superb and there is a huge cast of extras.

I can't imagine how difficult this was to make a film with the costumes (that are superb) and locations involved.

Jodie Foster is inspirational in the role playing a Fiesty teacher, recently widowed who travels to Siam to teach the children of King Mongkut. There she learns that Siam is very different from all that she knows back in England.

The film is set in the 1860s and the relationship between the Teacher and the King develops from a cold respect for each others values, into a love interest/ sparring contest.

Chow Yun-Fat is magnificent in the title role of the King and plays a philosophical Ruler with aplomb. He constantly has an 'air' about him, that gives him that all knowing look - and you just know that he always has prepared for plan B,C and D long before A has failed. He thinks nothing of keeping concubines, and having 58 children is the norm for a King of his greatness.

19th Century Thailand as you have never seen it before. The scenery is great and the locatations actually move away from the Palace.

Also featuring, Geoffrey Palmer, Ling Bai and Deanna Yusoff.

My advice is to buy it and try it, its a good film that you can watch with Grandma without shrinking behind the sofa.