The Sleeping Dictionary (2003)

Yes, it's true that it was Jessica Alba who leads me to this movie, because without her, I should have never pick it.But, I find it long, dull and above all, unoriginal. All along, I thought that the story was full of clichés and the directing very boring. So it was a surprise to see that the director and writer are the one and same person. I take notice to remember to avoid all his next movies.It's a pity because all good things were at hand: Malaysia is a beautiful jungle, it was the British Empire and the cast is wonderful: Jessica knows how to open her soul and for one time, she has found an appropriate movie for this. Bob Hoskins shows a great experience and he should have won an award for this role.The only positive thing is that it makes me open a world-map to locate this island because if you guess it happens in south Asia, you don't know where exactly! Ah, the little plane flight with red lines in the Indiana Jones movie!!!

This was never released but went straight to DVD and I can't figure out why. The movie could be classified as a "Date" movie, one part romance novel, one part drama. I was really drawn to this movie by Jessica Alba, if nothing else she's jut fine to look at and it's fun to see her grow as an actress. Yes, grow, she's improving with each film she's in. It was a huge bonus that the movie itself is very good. I was very surprised at the fine actors aboard. Bob Hoskins, Emily Moritmer and Brenda Blethyn let alone the native tribesmen. The movie has a first class look to it, well I expected this to be shot on a back lot but it was shot on location which you just don't see on a direct to DVD release. This is one of those movies that are a joy to discover. There's very few explosions, action scenes are not longer than 1 minute long, all that's left is a simple story about love that works for me. I would suggest another "gem" with Emily Morimer in it, 'Dear Frankie', it's a very good movie also.

Like the beauty of the jungle, Jessica Alba's gorgeous smile and sultry looks loom over the film, but alas they are the only two things worth watching this film for. When in theory we should be watching for the narrative.The plot is thin on the ground, and hard to believe. As beautiful as Jessica Alba is, she doesn't add any of the spark that she injected into the credible 'Dark Angel' series. Since Dark Angel it seems that Alba has been reduced to mere eye candy(but what eye candy!), and is the sole reason for putting her into films.The concept of the sleeping dictionary is daft and implausible, with little character development (or character for that matter) to make us want to undertake the 109 minutes run time with this world. Despite the films short running time, it still manages to feel to long and too laboured.It seems a shame that such talent such as Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer, Bob Hoskins are wasted on a threadbare narrative which barely raises a pulse. This film seriously misses a trick, an exotic setting, a more than capable cast, with lovely cinematography, and a chance to utilise the themes and the dualistic concepts of 'civilisation'. But there is little narrative to speak of, no drama, no sense we are watching a story of love, more a story of lust and woman happy to please men without question. Lets be honest, if Jessica Alba was freely allowing you to sleep with her, do you seriously think you'd be able to concentrate on learning a tribal language? Therein lies the great problem, both in suspension of disbelief, and also what the female characters are limited and reduced to. Take for example the fact that Jessica alba's character undergoes the mental and physical tribulation of pregnancy and birth to her forbidden love, yet all we see is her looking lovely and curvy one minute, then lovely and curvy, with a baby, the next.It's a sorry state of affairs to see a film with promise not live up to anything near it's potential. I could write endlessly of the films flaws, but it pains me to do so. The film looks good, the premise could have been made into a lovely film, but sadly it wasn't to be.

There are bad movies and there are bad movies, and then there's movies like this. Even counting the truly dreadful Honey this is Jessia's worse outing. Even a 1 is generous, up to me it would get -75. Overly, overly talky, no action worth mentioning, even the 'exotic' scenery is wasted. Relationships between all the characters is so forced it would be laughable, but there's no humor to be found. And I am not against the movie dialog because it's British, but it's all so dull you won't need sleeping pills. Even the (spoiler alert!) nude scene of Jessica Alba, which most males rent this for, is a not very convincing body double that National Geographic wouldn't accept. This is simply one of those dull movies that critics love and win Oscars that cost 10 million to make an only gross $1.99 at the box office. Watching moss grow for the movie's length is more exciting.