Anna and the King

Based on Anna Leonowens's memoirs (which also inspired the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The King and I), Andy Tennant's sprawling screen adaptation is long, languorous, and yet pleasantly lush. Set in Thailand during the Imperialistic era (mid 1800s), it has Hong Kong action star Chow Yun-fat as King Mongkut, the Siamese ruler looking to modernize his country without forfeiting its independence. To help seed his future plans, the King entrusts the education of his 50-plus children to the dutiful British widow of the film's title (Jodie Foster). Naturally, Anna and the monarch clash over cultural and social issues like slavery, polygamy, and justice. It's not until the political climate heats up -- the ever-imposing Imperial powers, a potential war with Burma, and a burgeoning conspiracy -- that the two set aside their ideological differences and bond.

Somber and contemplative, this King is nothing like R&H. Foster and Chow spark an appreciable chemistry, though most of it is parlayed though a series of painstakingly postured encounters. The exotic period sets are scrumptious to behold -- in fact, the whole film has a regal texture, but there's little to plot to hang it all on. At the Harbour Mall, Holiday, Showcase, Tri-Boro, and Woonsocket cinemas.
-- Tom Meek