The Sleeping Dictionary (2003)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Guy Jenkin

Writer:

Guy Jenkin (writer)

Release Date:

31 January 2003 (Mexico)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Learn to speak her language.

Plot:

An eager young Englishman is dispatched to Sarawak to become part of the British colonial government...

Plot Keywords:

Golf | First Time Sex | English | 1930s | Native American

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Jessica Alba	...	Selima
Brenda Blethyn	...	Aggie
Hugh Dancy	...	John Truscott
Bob Hoskins	...	Henry
Christopher Ling Lee Ian	...	Jasmine
Junix Inocian	...	Famous
Michael Jessing Langgi	...	Melaka
Mano Maniam	...	Policeman
K.K. Moggie	...	Tipong
Emily Mortimer	...	Cecil
Cicilia Anak Richard	...	Jester Woman
Malcolm Rogers	...	Vicar
Eugene Salleh	...	Belansai
Noah Taylor	...	Neville
Kate Helen White	...	Mandar

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Germany:12 | USA:R | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Company:

Fine Line Features

Trivia:

The film used more than 600 Iban extras.

Quotes:

John Truscott: I want us to be happy.
Cecil: Then why aren't we?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

Mango Tango

Beautiful social history

My wife and I watched this film not knowing anything about it except a two sentence introduction on a movie-card. We were impressed by all aspects of it-particularly the substance of the script-it was a brave script-a script that should have made people uncomfortable because of the swipes taken at British colonialism and what that evil did on a personal level to everybody concerned. Living as I do in Western Australia, the dark legacy of European colonialism is just below the surface and I have seen firsthand the outlines of the story presented in "The Sleeping Dictionary"-not of course the same geography or the same details but once colonialism left its tread on the floor of world history it matters little the particulars.

The enormity of the personal tragedy of that period is something not to be derisively dismissed as one commentator remarked-as a film fit for screening at the old folks home on a Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately the world is still dealing with that evil period of recent history.

I was moved by all the decisions that the characters faced throughout the film. Brenda Blethyn's character as the wife of Hoskin's colonial official was as much a victim as anybody in the film. Although she emerges as the "baddie" she must try, with little background, to stitch together a semblance of what she feels is an acceptable canvas in order to paint her English life-such of it as there is in Sarawak. And what of Hoskin's torn character-a man who can only fall back on "duty" to country in order to find reason for the completion of duties that he recognizes as damaging to all involved.

A brave film-look for it!