A sumptuous and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in European history, "The Other Boleyn Girl" tells the story of two beautiful sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn, who are driven by their family's blind ambition and compete for the love of the handsome and passionate King Henry VIII (Eric Bana). While both women eventually share the king's bed, only one will ascend to the throne for a brief and turbulent reign that ends tragically with a swing of the executioner's sword.
by superboldbabe
on 11/09/2008 2 of 2 people found this review helpful
What I loved most: Superb Acting
What I really hated: None
Wonderful cast and superb acting. Natalie is simply amazing. Her acting range is superb. Scarlett is more impressive in this role than others she has taken on so far. Eric is dashing but deserves to have more meat in his role. His character is not fleshed out enough and gives one the impression that King Henry is duhs-ville when it comes to the "wiles" of women. There isn't enough time in the movie to substantiate the build up of the "relationship" between him and Anne. Overall, it was enjoyable as a movie but one wishes it could be more...
What can one expect from director Justin Chadwick in his new baby "The Other Boleyn Girl"? Well, it's an elaborate drama with many well-evolved characters, all bound by an intense storyline.
Written by Peter Morgan - known previously for "The Last King of Scotland" and more recently "The Queen" - he teams up this time with Justin Chadwick and has produced yet another great movie.
So, what is so great about "The Other Boleyn Girl"? Well, if you like (and I mean, really like) period dramas, particularly those medieval movies, then this is especially for you. A story of family, love, trust and betrayal, "The Other Boleyn Girl" provides an insight to what happened during the reign of King Henry VIII, which resulted in him changing the entire course of England's history. After all, he was seen by many as the man responsible for the separation of England from the Vatican by the birth of his self-branded Church of England.
Although "The Other Boleyn Girl" is a story about kings, queens, dukes and duchesses, you can expect more talking than action. There will be a line or two of jokes, people dancing around to entertain guests and also not to forget intimate scenes between the King and you-know-who.
To make the whole movie even better, elaborate costumes (revealing lacy things!) are added for that Medieval feel. Forget the music playing in the background, when everything gets so tensed up, you would not be noticing who is going to the toilet.
Shot in Somerset, England,"The Other Boleyn Girl" offers a news perspective of how a history should be told. If history lessons were taught this way (by interesting movies), many students would pass with flying colours.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" is a movie definitely not to be missed.
Production Photos - Click thumbnail for larger photos
