With so many versions of this tale already on film - including a limp animated adaptation released earlier in the same year - who doesn't know the story of the Victorian widow who travels with her son to tutor the children of the King of Siam? Here it's Jodie Foster, boasting an immaculate English accent, playing the plucky governess who melts the heart of the king, played by a surprisingly sweet-natured Chow Yun-Fat. With a heavy emphasis on complicated political machinations and the odd gruesome scene, it's hardly suitable for young ones. Nonetheless, it's a heart-warming yarn that builds to a great action climax.

The story of the romance between the King of Siam (now Thailand) and the widowed British school teacher Anna Leonowens during the 1860s. Anna teaches the children and becomes romanced by the King. She convinces him that a man can be loved by just one woman.