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The Sleeping Dictionary

2003 · 109 min

A lush, earnest colonial romance that sweeps you into forbidden love and moral quandaries, with a steady, old-fashioned pull.

Directed by
Guy Jenkin
Genres
Drama, Romance
Tagline
He's an unexpected education.
Overview
In the 1930s, British officer John Truscott journeys to a remote village in colonial Malaysia to educate and Westernize the local Iban population. There, he's introduced to the lovely Selima. In keeping with tradition, Selima is assigned to sleep with Truscott and teach him the native language and customs. But when they fall in love, both colonists and natives object to their plans to marry.

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Directed by
Guy Jenkin
Genres
Drama, Romance
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • romanticstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • love
  • colonialism
  • identity
  • betrayal
  • family
Places
  • wilderness
  • countryside
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex strong
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror1
Humour2
Realism6
Romance7
Tension5
Darkness5
Complexity4
Emotional weight6

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Details

Genres
drama, romance
Directed by
Guy Jenkin
Written by
Guy Jenkin
Starring
Jessica Alba, Brenda Blethyn, Hugh Dancy, Bob Hoskins, Junix Inocian, Mano Maniam, K.K. Moggie, Emily Mortimer
Music
Simon Boswell
Cinematography
Martin Fuhrer
Runtime
109 min
Country
Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages
English

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