Superbly acted and photographed

Burmese

Going in I had expected a solid performance by Jodie Foster and some nicely photographed scenes; what I got was much more.  Chow Yun-Fat commands the viewers' attention whenever he is on the screen, fairly radiating a regal and aloof presence.  There is a palpable chemistry between Jodie and Chow, something not seen in the actresses films since she squared off with Anthony Hopkins' Lecter.  The script is solid and generally well-paced.  Keen attention is paid to the dialog and interplay between the principals and the secondary characters, too.  That they didn't actually film in Thailand, but in Malaysia never shows on the screen.  The photography and costumes should be automatic nominees for Oscar.  For that matter, both Jodie and Chow could comfortably fit in their respective nominee lists for Best Actor and Best Actress.  Overall, a wonderful film and I'm really looking forward to the DVD in June!

score 10/10

Burmese 13 December 1999

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0579283/