Anna and the King is based on the diaries of Anna Leonowens, an English schoolteacher, who in 1862 went to Siam to teach the King's son. Her writings inspired the original 1946 film "Anna and the King of Siam" and the subsequent Broadway musical and film "The King and I" in 1956 starring Yul Brynner as the King.

Jodie Foster, portrays Anna Leonowens, a woman ahead of her time when it was literally unheard of for a woman to travel alone, much lest to a foreign land with a young son in tow. Foster has more going on behind her prim and courteous smile than she lets on to and she reveals her character's secrets all in due course. Once in Siam, she clashes with the King over the role of women in Siamese society, over the treatment of his people, over the tutoring of his son, over slavery, and over what time to serve dinner, and basically, over almost everything. They clash regularly, but then the King says "I'm the King, and I can get your head chopped " ends their frequent debates rather easily. However, he respects her more than any woman he's met (that means a lot considering that he has 23 wives and various concubines).

Chow Yun-Fat does a remarkable job as King Mongkut, playing the Majesty with enough aristocratic indifference to make him a believable monarch, yet he is sensitive to his people and his children, and being torn apart by his personal feelings and his duty to his people. Chow Yun-Fat, as I've mentioned, is excellent in the role, playing the part with a mix of aloofness, humor, toughness, and a very touching love for his on-screen children.

Jodie Foster does a very convincing Victorian British accent, and Chow Yun-Fat's English is decent, although it's sometimes difficult to catch everything he's saying right away. In fact, a great majority of the characters in this film, although they are supposed to be Siamese, speak English when they're talking to each other. I'm not sure why - the scenes work fine when everyone is speaking Siamese, having subtitles would not distract the audience. Films such as Life is Beautiful and Dances with Wolves did well despite the subtitles, and it certainly does add more authenticity to the film.