ebiros2 The way the story goes in this movie reminded me little bit of the "Illusionist" in that the main character goes through a plan to covertly elope with a woman who is already married.A British attaché to colonial Sarawak Borneo comes across a native woman referred to as the "Sleeping Dictionary" to train him on the language and culture of the locals while she sleeps with him. He also has a fiancé in England who's actually the daughter of his boss in Sarawak. To make matters even more complicated, the Sleeping Dictionary, and his fiancé are step sisters. Predictably enough, he falls in love with the Sleeping Dictionary and decides to abandon his fiancée.Written and Directed by Guy Jenkin, both the story, and the visuals are high in quality. Jessica Alba is captured at the height of her beauty as the Sleeping Dictionary. The whole movie does succeed in transporting you to a land far away and beautiful. If there was a flaw in the movie, I couldn't see it. This is one movie where the jungle theme really succeeded - a rarity just for that alone, but considering its low budget, it's unbelievably well made.This is one movie you wouldn't want to miss.

Jay Harris 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)

mmcadams-1 It's really too bad when the whole motivation for a long-lasting love is that both the man and the woman are super attractive. With everything that happens to the young British colonial officer and the young Iban woman who becomes his "sleeping (together) dictionary" AFTER they fall in love (most of the movie), it's hard to believe their "love" is really that strong, as it's based on almost nothing, story-wise.The mountains and jungles of Sarawak, East Malaysia, make a stunning setting for the film. The longhouses, shown in the old style, and the life of the Iban people provide a wonderful texture and cultural backdrop ... sadly, not much more than that. The people are dignified and realistic, and if you don't know anything about the headhunting days and traditional culture of the interior of Borneo, you might find yourself wanting to learn more after you see this. Most of the actors look like Iban, or at least Malays -- except for Alba, who isn't and doesn't.I caught this on IFC, and I wasn't bored, but the thin cardboard characters really disappointed me even while I was enjoying the scenery.

Willow V 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.