Anna and the King

About the last thing you'd expect to hear about an Andy Tennant film is that it's too ambitious for its own good.

After all, the former television director's previous big-screen works, "It Takes Two," "Fools Rush In" and "Ever After," pretty much fit the description of "fluff piece." Yet here he is, taking on one of cinema's most beloved stories — and in a surprisingly dramatic fashion — with "Anna and the King."

Unfortunately, it looks like he's bitten off more than he can chew with this non-musical version, which is a little too superficial and bloated to be completely effective. (It runs 145 minutes.)

You could also quibble with the film's revisionist version of historical events, which includes anachronistic touches and a somewhat ludicrous, Indiana Jones-styled climax that belongs more in an action-adventure movie than it does here.

That said, "Anna and the King" is a stylish, well-shot piece, and it benefits greatly from the performances of its very talented cast.

Jodie Foster stars as one of England's most famous schoolteachers, the widow Anna Leonowens.

Hired to tutor the 58 children of progressive-minded Siamese King Mongkut (Chow Yun-Fat), Anna arrives in Siam full of big ideas, with her young son, Louis (Tom Felton), in tow.

However, she soon finds that her Western ways conflict with most members of the male-centric, Siamese society, including the king, who is attempting to forge a new identity for his country — one that would balance new ideas with many of its traditions and customs.

Not too surprisingly, such innovations make a strong impression on Anna. And even though sparks fly between the somewhat headstrong schoolmarm and the proud monarch at first, in time they come to respect and care for each other (but not in a romantic way).

In fact, their odd-couple relationship comes into play as he attempts to fend off what appears to be an attack from English-supported Burmese forces, but which is actually a coup attempt by one of his former generals.

Again, this is a very good-looking movie (kudos to ace cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and the production design team). But Tennant (who reportedly co-wrote the screenplay with a pair of scripters) never really gets a feel for the story. Is it supposed to be an epic romance? A culture-clash drama? Or perhaps an action-adventure movie?

He's not sure, and the film ends up being a muddle of all these genres. Particularly ineffective is a subplot about a tragic romance involving one of the king's concubines (Bai Ling), which doesn't have the punch it deserves.

Nor does the chemistry between the leads, which is a surprise, given their sterling work here.

However one-dimensional her character is written, Foster is quite good, right down to the affected accent. But former Hong Kong star Chow somehow manages to steal the film out from under her with his warm, knowing performance, which is certainly the best of his brief American film career.

"Anna and the King" is rated PG-13 for violent gunplay and explosions, as well as a graphic execution and gore.