Hey folks, Harry here with Professor Marvel's look at ANNA AND THE KING. My understanding is that his crystal ball is mighty powerful and can conjur that which has yet to be screened. The crystal doesn't quite take into account the entire theatrical film going experience, but from the sounds of things the movie seems to be quite a bit better than the trailer, which really blows in my opinion. But... Well... Here's Professor Marvel to tell you and all the crowned heads of Europe about it.
I say, it is Professor Marvel here and when I look into my crystal ball I am looking at a roughcut of ANNA AND THE KING. This is the same crystal that foretold of Julius Caesar coming to Cleopatra and the gross sums made off of a terrible sea-faring tragedy. But now I am watching Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat...
I caught a fairly well-finished (all except the soundtrack and probably 10 minutes of editing) version of "Anna and the King" yesterday, and thought I'd share it with you guys. Basically, it's the dramatic version of "The King and I," following the true story of Anna Leonowens as she travelled to Siam to educate the son of King Mongkut. When she gets there, she realizes that the king's "son" is actually about 50 offspring of concubines, and she sets out to teach them all the ways of the world in her own steely British style.
Meanwhile, all kinds of discord is breaking out amongst the king's ranks - one of his advisors is disgusted with the King's attempts to curry British favor, and plots a coup. Anna herself is disgusted with the slave-owning and lack of human respect that goes on in the country, and sets out to change the king's mind about everything, with varying degrees of success.
Jodie Foster, of course, is terrific, and her English accent as the dour Anna isn't bad either. She looks magnificent, and fills the screen with her usual intensity. Chow Yun-Fat, as the King, has trouble with some of the dialogue, but definitely pulls off the part. The problem is that their romance - only hinted at, but obvious just the same - seems like more of a concession to screengoers than anything organic, and given Foster's presumed history, it's hard to take her and the King of Siam seriously.
The film's denouement suffers from a battle scene that never quite pans out, and indeed, the political intrigue here seems to get in the way of the film's mood. It's such a good story, how Siam/Thailand remained stable throughout the last 150 years, but the film lacks a unifying theme that makes other great movies into epics. This one is just a pretty good story.
But the cinematography, my God, so beautiful. If you're a fan of photography or the use of light in film, or even the majesty of a world long gone, you'll get your money's worth. It's by far the most gorgeous thing you'll see this winter in the theater, and for some, that may be enough.
Professor Marvel
