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"Sleeping dictionary" is a slang term that was used by British colonists. It refers to their practice of taking native women as concubines to teach them the local language. Of course, there were other fringe benefits.

This film tells the story of a young Englishman named John Truscott (Hugh Dancy) who travels to Malaysia in the 1930s to educate and civilize the "native savages". The British governor (Bob Hoskins) tells Truscott that he should first adapt to his surroundings, rather than forcing a drastic change in the natives. He introduces Truscott to his "dictionary", Selima (Jessica Alba).

As you can probably guess, the two fall madly in love, which is forbidden by the local government. Both the colonial government and natives have a huge problem with this, and put their love to the test.

Reviews of this film have been fairly middle-of-the-road. Nothing spectacular stands out about the movie, except for the lovely scenery. But there is nothing really bad, either. If you're interested in this period of history or a fan of romance, this may be the film for you. (Marty Doskins/BOP)