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Anna and the King (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:96
Fresh:49
Rotten:47
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Beautiful cinematography can't prevent Anna and the King from being boring and overly lengthy.
Synopsis:
English schoolteacher Anna Leonowens has done something that women of the Victorian age simply never do: The young widow has traveled thousands of miles with her son to a land that is largely...
English schoolteacher Anna Leonowens has done something that women of the Victorian age simply never do: The young widow has traveled thousands of miles with her son to a land that is largely unknown to the Western world. She arrives in Siam with adventure in her eyes and a Siamese primer in her hand. Whatever awaits her in this strange new world, there is no turning back.
Anna has been employed to educate the king’s fifty-eight children. She knows very little of King Mongkut, apart from the fact that his people revere him as a god. She brings with her an "East vs. West" prejudice against the king, considering him to be uncivilized. She soon realizes that her views are more than matched by the ruler’s own preconceptions about the West and particularly this impertinent English woman.
But over time, Anna and the King share a growing connection. Anna discovers that Mongkut is a true man of vision who is leading Siam to take its place among the nations of the modern world. And the King recognizes that Anna has shined a light not only on him and his family, but on Siam itself. -- © 1999 20th Century Fox
Starring: Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat, Bai Ling, Tom Felton
Starring: Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat, Bai Ling, Tom Felton, Randall Duk Kim, Keith Chin, Syed Alwi
Director: Andy Tennant
Director: Andy Tennant
Screenwriter: Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes
Producer: Lawrence Bender, Ed Elbert
Composer: George Fenton
Reviews for Anna and the King
Handsome and well-appointed ... but still one of the most boring films in recent memory.
The third major screen version of the story, has much to recommend it.
A deliberate retelling of 'The King and I' without the musical interludes. 'Anna and the King' is a slow, but ultimately rewarding period drama.
... the pacing of the film is slow enough to make the typical Merchant-Ivory production feel like a Nine Inch Nails video
Here is an old-fashioned costume drama with sumptuous sets, stirring music, and beguiling landscapes.
Latest News for Anna and the King
September 22, 2005:
Critical Consensus: A Beautiful "Bride," A Bumpy "Flight," And a Bouncy "Bounce"
This week at the movies brings a twisted tale of love from beyond the grave ("Tim Burton's Corpse Bride"), a paranoid thriller at 40,000 feet ("Flightplan")... More...
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