The Sleeping Dictionary (2003)

I love this movie so much

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

From my favorite movies..

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

No, you don't get to see Jessica Alba's breasts in this film. As far as I know, she has not done a nude scene. There are extremely lovely breasts to look at, but they belong to someone else. Yes, that a huge rip-off, but, what the hell, Emily Mortimer makes up for it somewhat by showing hers, and they are something to see.That out of the way, this was a beautiful film, cinematographically speaking, and it had some fine performances, the two mentioned being among them. Alba was a native girl that fell in love with an English Officer, Hugh Darcy, and he fell in love with her. This being Colonial English territory, this just won't do. Bob Hoskins, in another great performance, puts the kibosh on the deal, certainly at the urging of his wife, played by Brenda Blethyn, another great performance. Darcy is forced to marry their daughter (Mortimer) or face prison for allowing a native group to kill Dutch miners that were killing natives.There is nothing different in the film than what we see every day on the news. Nothing has changed. We have no problem killing thousands of Iraqis to get oil, as the Dutch had no problem killing natives for silver, or the British for whatever they were taking out of Malaysia. Of course, those Iraqis that help us are not good enough to bring to the United States, just as the natives are good for nothing more than bed-mates to teach the language. If there is a god, one hopes that we will all be called to account one day for this madness.The one thing that is great about this movie, aside from the great performances of the characters, is the fact that the ending does come out right.

The Sleeping Dictionary is about a British man named Truscot who went to explore the land of Sarawak. Truscot didn't know how to speak their language called Iban, So A Sleeping Dictionary named Selima (Jessica Alba) taught him how to speak the language and sleep together at the same time. While tutoring and having sex, Truscot and Selima were in love and wanted to get married, But the explores that went with Truscot didn't allow him to marrie Selima. The Sarawak Tribe didn't allow the marrige ethier and Selima and Truscot were banned from seeing each other or they would be killed. For the rest of the story, please buy or rent the movie to see what happened. For a suggestion, I rented my DVD from Hollywood Video.

This was an excellent film and brought back a lot of memories of my time with the Iban people in Sarawak. The costumes, the people, the scenery...these would all be worth watching the movie even without a good plot. There are some priceless moments in it including a conversation with the cook about drunkenness and wages and the relationship between the young Englishman and the Iban people he is supposed to be governing. The Iban have a well developed sense of humor. Overall the plot is enjoyable. I'm not a fan of romances, but this was well done and gave a unique glimpse into a people who are still very much the same to this day (minus the actual head hunting).If you have ever dreamed of an adventure in Borneo, watch this first...it will convince you of the beauty and the need to go.

This film sadly disappointed me.I rented it one night ready to enjoy good acting and gripping story and the wonderful Hugh Dancy, Bob Hoskins, Jessica Alba and Emily Mortimer. I really expected to love this film but somehow I was not satisfied.The acting was not up to standard with only Hugh and Emily really showing any of the skill I know them to have. Jessica was not at all suited to the role she lacked all the reserve a woman from Borneo would have had at that time.The film was too rushed and in parts completely unbelievable I am afraid to say that after this Jessica has fallen dramatically in my estimation,