I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The Worst Film Ever

How sad is this?

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

It's 1936 Sarawak. Idealistic Englishman John Truscott (Hugh Dancy) arrives looking to civilize the supposed primitive Iban society. Henry Bullard (Bob Hoskins) is the governor and Aggie (Brenda Blethyn) is his wife. He is given a "sleeping dictionary" in Selima (Jessica Alba) who performs wifely duties as well as teaching him the language and culture. His first job is to retrieve heads of Chinese miners from the tribe to appease the tension with commercial interests. They are joined by Bullard daughter Cecilia (Emily Mortimer).This is a fine old fashion romantic adventure although somewhat melodramatic. Jessica Alba strikes such a shocking figure that she takes me out of the picture at first. She looks nothing like everybody else in the tribe. There is an explanation but it comes much later. Hugh is a fine dandy Englishman. The actors are great. This sorta works.

People obviously went to a lot of trouble to make this movie. Shot on location, it has an authentic look. It went straight to video, and although there is much to like, I can see why it didn't make a bigger impression. To paraphrase a classic line, "It could have been a contender".In 1936, a new British colonial officer, John Truscott (Hugh Dancy), begins duty as an administrator of the Iban people of Sarawak. His superior, Henry Bullard (Bob Hoskins), the Governor of the district, initiates him into the ways of his office, which includes sleeping with an Iban woman, Selima (Jessica Alba), who will teach him the language – she is his Sleeping Dictionary.Truscott begins to fall in love with her at about the same time that he meets the governor's daughter, Cecelia (Emily Mortimer), a kind-natured woman who falls in love with him. With class and racial barriers against marrying Selima, Truscott makes a decision that causes unhappiness for nearly everyone, but all is resolved before the end.Writer/director Guy Jenkins journeys into Somerset Maugham territory with this story, which is often witty and captivating, but he doesn't have Maugham's radar for human frailty. Where Maugham or even George Orwell in the not dissimilar "Burmese Days" invariably opt for tougher outcomes, towards the end of "The Sleeping Dictionary", Jenkins takes his foot off the gas, and instead of a finale born out of the conflict he has created, he settles for consensus by all concerned – it's too neat – he lets our emotions off the hook. A harsher approach may have elevated this from the safely romantic to a searing drama you would be unlikely to forget.Bob Hoskins and Hugh Dancy, deliver believable performances and Emily Mortimer's is a poignant one as she realises her husband doesn't really love her. Although Jessica Alba said she didn't like her performance, she is perfect. Well, she is a bit of a perfect person after all, so beautiful it's ridiculous. Her performance is quite understated, which seems right for the part. Noah Taylor as Neville Shipperly is wasted as a strictly by-the-numbers villain.Simon Boswell's score is an odd amalgam. I suspect that in part the movie was temp-tracked with Jerry Goldsmith's brilliant music for "Under Fire", and it influenced about half the final score. The other half is a syrupy love theme, which tends to bring the film into the realm of a Hallmark romance. I can't help feeling that an opportunity was missed to create a unique work incorporating more of the traditional instruments of Sarawak."The Sleeping Dictionary" captures a feeling for the period, and is enjoyable on a number of levels, especially the cast. It's just a pity that the film's second half doesn't deliver on the brilliance of the first half.

There is something very off about this film. I got the feeling throughout it was poorly written, with uninteresting characters abound doing unexciting things... there was no sparkling dialogue and nothing to get me engaged with them whatsoever. Like with most bad screenplays, the cast change their goals and motivations with barely any explanation. For instance, the central pair fall in love at the drop of a hat, after spending most of first part arguing. And what a vanilla pair they make. They're welcome to each other.Set in an old British territory just 2 years before the Second World War, it's a lot more involving to admire the wonderful scenery and the costumes of the tribespeople than the dull-as-ditchwater romance. Everything is predictable to the Nth degree... you could stop watching after 20 minutes and fill in the rest of the blanks yourself. In fact, don't even bother doing that. Just think of this as an exercise in audience timewasting, and follow the advice of the title: either take a nap, or read a good book instead... 3/10

The summary above sounds like a few films I saw as a young lad in 1936, I loved this type movie then & still do, Then they were G rated, NOW they are more realistic & this has an honest R rating.To those reading this who are senior citizen,Think of Dorothy Lamour,Robert Preston, Ray Milland,Raymond Massey,Mary Astor & Frances Farmer, Now enacted by Jessica Alba,Hugh Dancy,Noah Taylor,Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blythen & Emily Mortimer, in the same roles as the above cast.Dorothy Lamour was as capable an actress as Jessica Alba.( now who ever paid attention to Miss Lamour's acting; Miss Alba is so beautiful who cares if she can act.Hugh Dancy an exceedingly handsome actor is also a brilliant actor & he shines in this early role. Noah Taylor is equally good as a slightly nasty guy, Bob Hoskins & Brenda Blythen are excellent in there characters,& Nancy Mortimer in another first rate performance.Guy Jenkin both wrote & directed this wonderful trip back to the past when films like this were common place. The production values are first rate & believe it or not this excellent film only cost $ 12 Million For some reason this film never was released to the theatres, it went direct to DVD.It was filmed on location in Sarawak--Malaysia.Everything is near flawless. The R rating is mainly for the adult subject matter, a few choice words & an unneeded shot of naked breasts,.For beautiful love story, exotic location fans THIS IS A MUst. ratings **** (OUT OF 4) 98 POINTS (OUT OF 100) IMDb 10(OUT OF 10)