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Loved It! Loves stories don't get much better than this.

Ignore the critics and see for yourself what a wonderful, truly lovely story and movie this really was. Set against the backdrop of what is now Thailand, this beautiful story unfolds of star-crossed lovers whose sheer passion, respect, and admiration for each and their inability to display it makes this story all the more compelling. A must see for any true romantic!

A visual masterpiece

There are only two other movies I would consider to be worthy of masterpiece status: "Saving Private Ryan" and "Titanic." Now a third can be added to this list: "Anna And The King." "Anna and The King" is a true masterpiece that is filled with heart, soul and superb performances.I was very impressed with the performance of Chow-Yun Fat because he made the transition from action star to dramatic actor flawlessly. Fat showed his versatility in playing a king. Fat pulled off this role with perfection. He made it so easy for me to enjoy this movie because of his screen presence and believability of the performance as well as the chemistry between Anna and the King.This masterpiece can not be completed without the performance Jodie Foster turned in. Foster delivers the type of performance worthy of an oscar. She once again has established herself among the elite that have the special gift of natural talent.Foster and Fat come together beautifully to bring the true story of the romance of Anna Leonowens and King Momokut."Anna and The King" is visually stunning in so many ways with beautiful settings such as the palace. Also, the costumes are well-made and suited the movie perfectly."Anna & The King" will take you on a journey that will touch, warm and fill your heart with spirit only a motion picture masterpiece can bring.

a solid movie with some great moments

This movie was a good, entertaining one, but not the epic, breath-taking one the director intended it to be. The best moments are provided by the nuanced acting of Chow Yun-fat and solid efforts of Jodie Foster.The movie is for the most part culturally accurate. However, historically, the movie strays from what most historians agree to the facts--which is not necessarily a bad thing for a movie, but which was not stressed enough either in the movie or in its publicity. The character of Anna lacks true depth and development at times; she is perhaps anachronistically depicted too much as a liberated 20th century woman. On the other hand, the king's role is much more rounded. It is refreshing to see a depiction of an Asian man that breaks through the stereotypes of weak and brainy.In addition, the diversity amongst the extras and the lush scenery make this movie a treat for the eyes. Strong supporting acting also gives good weight to the film.

Thank you!

I must say I was skeptical walking into this show, especially after hearing so many "chick-flick" lovers almost freaking out about the movie. But, I was very pleasantly surprised...and coincidently excited to see a movie appeal to so many senses and likes. The way in which they handled everything in the story was beautiful. The breath-taking scenery and awesome music are enough incentive for me to see it twice. But the story and the characterization were just as compelling. Of course, the story may not be exactly accurate, but it can be given credit for enabling us to understand and appreciate the significance of what Anna did...and what the king did. I think the romance was excellently handled as well. Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat showed such reserved, but powerful emotion...it was fascinating to watch. And, with politics and religions of two different worlds intertwining, the story became all the more fascinating. I'm excited to see that it's a movie in which you can "catch" things you may not have noticed the first time.

This movie has so much to offer...don't pass it up! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

2.5: Jodie is a decent actress in an above-average film

After seeing Jodie Foster's dull, unsympathetic, and mostly emotionless performance in '' The Accused'' (which paled even worse in comparison with the acting of the intense assailants), I thought she was a terrible actress. But this film changed my mind. Foster plays Anna, an English woman who's husband dies in battle. She goes with her young son Louis to Siam to teach the King's children. The King, played by Chow Yung-Fat is a seemingly cold, formal man. When he meets Anna, he slowly changes. The only problem I have with this is that he never truly seemed that cruel in the first place. He does seem extremely intimidate by Anna though.With good reason. Anna is a veyr strong, sometimes touching woman- very formal, but fiercly loyal and protective of her son and the people she cares about. An intelligent woman, resourceful and bold: ('' I will respectfully remind you, Your Highness that I am not your servant but your guest''), Foster does a decent job. A painful scene is where the King's young daughter dies, a child whom Anna invested her heart and emotion, and the King stand there trembling, while Anna softly weeps, careful not to be heard by any of the King's men. Anna is a very unusual woman of her time- but a bright and caring one as well. This film realistically conveys the lowly status of women as concubines and the disrespect of them. Daughters were ''offered'' to the King as ''prizes.'' The ending is bittersweet- painful and yet somehow haunting. The beautiful, lavish, breathtaking sets are also something to celebrate- worthy and awe-inspiring. All in all, this film is decently-acted, beautiful to look at, touchign at times, and worth seeing.

Based on a true story

This is one of my favorite movies.I love Biographies and when I found out this was based on a true story,I had to check it out and do some reading up on the characters and it was pretty much on.Excellent cast and beautiful settings.Director spent allot of time and money to make it for our pleasure.I give it 5 stars.Watching the behind scenes commentary only makes you appreciate the movie even more.Hats off to the cast and crew

I crawled out of the theater on my hands and knees chanting, who is this Chow Yun-Fat and why, in my 50 + years of movie loving, don't I know him?

I have seen all the versions made (so far), of the story of the school-teacher and the king.None of them are factual. I really wish SOMEONE would have the courage to show Anna as the Anglo/Indian she really was with dark brown hair and eyes. But that is really a small point.Since none of the stories are accurate, this one is not MORE INaccurate than the others. Certainly Anna and her King did not prance all over any ballroom. So, if people can accept the singing/dancing version, this more serious, and some-what more factual account, should be satisfactory. I enjoyed not having to suffer through another Yul Brynner over-the-top buffoon characterization of the King. And 30 seconds after Chow Yun-Fat first appeared, I forgot all about either Rex Harrison, (who was terribly miss-cast with Irene Dunn in a very early rendition of this story,) AND Yul Brynner the man I loved in the role when I was young and silly.Chow Yun-Fat brings with him authority, brilliance, sex appeal and humor.
He is warm and charming, but also not to be trifled with, cajoled or threatened. Between the smile and the shoulders beats a heart that is fragile and can break. Yun-Fat is superb in this role.My problem with this film is the cutting. On the DVD you are treated to scenes that were shot but not included in the final cut. What a mistake excluding these scenes was! They give Foster the warmth and humanity she lacked in the scenes we see. They explain her motivation and her tragedy.There is part of the croquet scene that does not appear in the film, but should. Here Anna is shown beating the King! He explains that his wives always let him win, and Anna shoots him a flirtatious look and says, "Well, then I don't have to..." A delicious scene that defines their relationship and the sexual and intellectual tension between this impossible couple. The prologue and the coda of the film as it was originally conceived are also included in the DVD. How this film needed them. Tenant made some bad decisions that made his largest work to date, a merely fine film instead of the great film it might have been.But even with those regrets, I love Anna and The King as it is. The music is wonderful, especially the drumming, the scope of the production overwhelming and the acting excellent to splendid. The emotional tug-of-war between convention, duty and passion is well brought out by Yun-Fat and Foster, and the children are delightful. The scene when the King's favorite daughter dies in his arms is gorgeous and shattering! Here the King realizes that, for all his absolute power, he cannot control or change his destiny. I cry out loud every time I see this scene.Yun-Fat loves children and it shows in every scene he has with the talented young actors who play what the King called, the future hope of Thailand.Anna and The King is a film to love as long as you don't let history bog you down. And, just watching Chow Yun-Fat is reward enough!

conflict

Still about the conflict between eastern and western culture. Though the major conflict of the drama is about those "terrorists" against the kingdom.
Seems that the king is quite somebody in the Thailand history. Yes, in the realm of combination of eastern and western culture, I'm sure he's great!
Another thing great of this movie is about Jodie Foster's acting.
Especially at the occasion of the prince' death.

An Academy-Award winning performance from Jody Foster and Yun-Fat Chow

This was a powerful story of a country caught up in the turmoil of coming to grips with a new way of life, and a man and woman from two different worlds caught up a love that can never be.Jody Foster turned in another powerful performance as Mrs. Anna Leonowen. Typical of her roles, Mrs. Leonowen was a woman with a strong will and a mind of her own. She spoke what was on her mind and was willing to accept the outcome. But she also has a strong desire to help others mature to accept a new role in the world around them.Yun-Fat Chow proved that he is very capable of turning in a role that goes beyond the martial arts roles he has had in the past. I was very impressed with his interpretation of King Mongkat and his interaction with Mrs. Leonowen. Mongkat knows that if his country is to avoid foreign entanglements that could lead to the colonial enslavement like neighboring countries he must lead Siam through the maze of changing its centuries-old traditions. He knows that he must put Siam on the road to "modern civilization" and that he must prepare his son to be able to complete the journey.I thought the movie was well directed and filmed and the performances by all the actors involved were of the highest level. This film is sure to garner many Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Actress, writing, directing, cinematography, and probably Best Supporting Actress. This is definitely a must see movie.

Steve-Rosse is right.

I support Steve-RosseWhat he said is true, logical and believable. Go read it and believe him.U can be impress by the film, the play and all its book but note that this is only and imagination of a woman. There is no real story at all, specially the relationship between Anna and the King.

An emotional and visual masterpiece!

I had the great chance last night to attend a screening of "Anna and the King", and the only thing to say is AMAZING! I was very familiar with the story beforehand, having read the book by Margaret Landon, and the novelization of the movie. But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Visually, is was a marvel, a true work of art. The sets were magnificent. Everything had its own individual beauty, that, when combined with the breathtaking cinematography of the land, created a visual blow to the senses. I have never seen Malaysia look so wonderful. But, even more remarkable that the visuals, were the subtle yet explosive performances by Chow Yun-Fat and Jodie Foster. The chemistry between these two stars was present from the moment you see them on screen. I have admired both these actors for some time, but never have I seen them this powerful. Maybe, people in North America will finally see Chow as the amazingly versatile man that he is.This film masterfully weaves together action, drama, romance, and a surprising amount of laugh-out-loud humour. Give yourself a gift for the holidays, and go see this film.

Captivating story of history, societal change, love.

As a younger person who's missed many of the "older" movies (like "The King and I") I can only see movies for the works they are -- I do not have older works in my repertoire through which to compare, contrast and filter my viewing experience.

Having just viewed Anna & the King both in letterbox and cropped views (I prefer letterbox, though smaller on a screen, the camera work and screenplay are absolutely stunning, and missing these outer details does detract from the mood of the picture), I greatly enjoyed the storyline, the actors, and the cinematography.

Admittedly Jodie Foster's English accent is a bit forced, but I commend her ability to retain it consistently throughout the picture (as opposed to some actors who've been unable to do so, regardless, they did receive outstanding reviews for their performance, nonnative accent notwithstanding). I felt Jodie's portrayal as being prim and well-educated was very accurate given the time period -- what is considered acceptable today would have been considered absolutely abhorrent in Anna's time. We seem to forget that so many things considered perfectly fine today, simply weren't done in the mid-1800's, particularly in the ultra-traditionalized societies like those of England and Siam (to name two). American attitudes have been long considered far fringe by non-Western societies around the world, both then and today.

I found the choice of actors for Siam characters to be appropriate and believable. The character portrayals were deep and true. I felt as though I was watching people, getting to know them, not watching actors playing roles. The transitions of time and space were effective and I didn't find myself yearning for "missed pieces."

The love story caught me by surprise. I found it deeply moving and the tension between Anna, and the King, and the careful play of the King's other wives, to be wonderful. I strained to hear every word and catch every expression. I appreciated the dialog and found the scenes well-written, appropriately succinct and yet adequately played to offer a "newcomer" like me an appreciation of the many issues which underlay the story.

This movie tugged at my heartstrings, as I watched these people and families grow and come to love together, and I was moved to tears repeatedly. Watching a deep love grow between Anna and the King, a love borne of respect and intelligence and attraction, watching them balance their societal dictates with the concerns of country, politics and their feelings for one another -- and of course all those beautiful children -- was like watching a gentle dance of butterflies on a summer's breeze. I felt it was beautifully written and beautifully played.

I give it a "thumbs up" for the actors, directorship, costuming and cinematography. Definitely a movie worth seeing!

Special Edition is anamorphic widescreen

The special edition is, in fact, anamorphic widescreen. I originally ordered a copy of this movie which was labeled as widescreen, but the DVD itself was full screen. I ordered another copy and it was indeed anamorphic widescreen.


I had to edit my original review--but I can't change the original rating! I give this movie 5 stars.

I was curious to see how this story would be told in the post-colonial, feminist era, and found, to my great delight, that much of the racist baggage that accompanied earlier versions of this story had indee

Thai society was revealed as venerable and knowing (how dispiriting, then, that the Thai government played the stooge for its royalty and, laughably, banned the film). My only fault with the film was Jodie Foster, whose accent could have been far more upper-crust (I lived in Britain for ten years, and know what a plum accent sounds like), and who simply didn't capture the demeanour of the lordly British Abroad. Any number of British accesses could have done a better job; but, this is a quibble. It was a very watchable film.

Even more inspiring to know Anna really existed

I really loved this film. The plot was even more alluring to know that it is a tale of real historical characters. I have to admit my expectations were low and I was astounded to find the film had such a wonderful amount of depth and subtle charm that left me feeling satisfied and complete in my visual journey with the characters on screen.

This film is beautiful to look at but the majestic feel and epic scope really did need a real telling of this story

`Anna and the King' By Dean Kish The historical story of a British school teacher and her relationship with the King of Siam. Jodie Foster stars as Anna Leonowens, a widowed British school teacher who has come to Siam to teach the heir apparent. When she arrives with her young son in tow, Anna finds out that she must teach the whole royal family including one of King's concubines. The King of Siam (Chow Yun Fat) is shocked, bewildered and curious about the strength and vigor of this strong woman. Through her teaching and her proper British upbringing, Anna brings change to Siam and its people even when they are on the brink of a war they can not possibly win. Anna and the King is another visually stunning historical epic that tries to flesh out the real characters who so many have seen burst into song. Brought to life by looking deep into the real Anna Leonowens' diary and memoirs, the film tries desperately to tell a story none of us have heard. My biggest problem with Anna and the King is that it never really delivers any new thrilling revelations. Sure the story is a great one and the film is beautifully shot but why couldn't they have made these characters with more edge. The subplot involving the rebellious concubine and her lover could have easily been lost in edits.
What I loved about the film was Chow Yun Fat. He finally seems to be getting the proper respect from Hollywood. This is a great step forward in his development as a Hollywood star. I hope Hollywood does give him better parts after this. Director Andy Tennant's lush backdrops and intricate camera scope made the film feel like an epic. This film is beautiful to look at but the majestic feel and epic scope really did need a real telling of this story. As for Jodie Foster, she seemed a little bored in her proper British form. Wow, did she need a deeper juicier Anna. I hope if they do decide to go back to Anna's diaries once again maybe they could tell the film in first perspective and really tell about what went on between these two figures. Every historical figure has his flaw or obsession and these characters never really entertained reality. (3 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer

An enchanting and very entertaining movie

I have and have watched both Anna and the King of Siam, with Irene Dunn and Rex Harrison and The King and I, with Deborah Kerr and Yul Brenner. Enjoying both of these movies over the years I wasn't very enthusiastic about seeing Anna and the King as I felt that a third remake of the same story could not measure up. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Anna and the King not only measured up but surpassed all my expectations. To me it seemed more realistic, as far as character portrayals and I just felt that it was closer to the actual relationship of the two main characters. Jodi Foster, as always gave an excellent portrayal of the hardships of a woman in that period with the task she faced and Chow Yun-Fat, though not as handsome as the previous portrayers of the King was more believable - thouroughly enjoyable!

A few other points

I agree with most reviewers here, that this movie provides a lush visual experiences and a plot that keeps one's mind engaged. I agree with the comment that the song at the end was totally inappropriate, what were they thinking? Just one other point: the PG-13 rating should probably be taken seriously - if you are thinking of taking an adolescent, just be aware that there are a few scenes of bloodshed, a beating and two offscreen but obvious beheadings. These might be upsetting to more sensitive younger viewers.

Anna and the Kind

The DVD Anna and the King was fine. I'm so glad I found it on Amazon

Disappointed

I had looked forward to seeing this film, as the trailers that I had seen really captured my interest. Unfortunately, the movie did not live up to the tease. It was very slow paced and poorly written. Jodie Foster does a decent job with the role. As I am not a big Jodie Foster fan, this was a pleasant surprise. If you are familiar with King and I story, don't bother with this one. If not, it is worth a cheap rental.