The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) - FILM ONLY REVIEW
Certificate: 12A (UK) / 15A (Ireland) / PG-13 (USA)
Running time: 115 minutes
Director: Justin Chadwick
Writer: Peter Morgan
Main Cast:
Nathalie Portman - Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson - Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana - King Henry VIII
Ana ... Read review
A sumptuous and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayel set against the backdrop of ... more
a defining moment in European history, The Other Boleyn Girl tells the story of two beautiful sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson...
She bore his child and then he made her sister Queen.An extraordinary tale of sex, passion ... more
and royal intrigue. This is the little-known story of Mary Boleyn who was mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her older sister, Anne. Inspired by Phili...
An extraordinary tale of sex passion and royal intrigue. The Other Boleyn Girl is the ... more
little-known story of Mary Boleyn who was mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her older sister Anne. Inspired by Philippa Gregory's novel of the same nam...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
A sumptuous and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal setagainst the backdrop of ... more
a defining moment in European history, TheOther Boleyn Girl tells the story of two beautiful sisters, Anne(Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn w...
New official film tie-in edtion of this magnificent tale of rivalry and jealousy set in ... more
the volatile court of King Henry VIII. The Boleyn family is keen to rise through the ranks of society and what better way than to place their most beautiful young woman at court? But Mary becomes the king's mistress at a time of change. He needs his personal pleasures but he also needs an heir. The unthinkable happens and the course of English history is irrevocably altered. For the women at the heart of the storm they have only one weapon; and when it's no longer enough to be the mistress Mary must groom her younger sister in the ways of pleasing the king. Now this bestselling novel is brought to life as a major film starring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman as the Boleyn sisters and Eric Bana as Henry VIII. The cast also features Kristin Scott Thomas and Mark Rylance. Directed by highly acclaimed Justin Chadwick (BAFTA and Emmy nominated for 'Bleak House') with screenplay by Peter Morgan (Oscar nominated for 'The Queen'; BAFTA winner for 'The Last King of Scotland') the film will generate massive interest coverage and book sales.
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Fabulous historical novel set in the court of King Henry VIII. Mary Boleyn attracts the ... more
attention of the young king and becomes his mistress; when he tires of her she sets out to school her sister Anne as a replacement. Politics and passion are inextricably bound together in this compelling drama. The Boleyn family is keen to rise through the ranks of society and what better way to attract the attention of the most powerful in the land than to place their most beautiful young woman at court? But Mary becomes the king's mistress at a time of change. He needs his personal pleasures but he also needs an heir. The unthinkable happens and the course of English history is irrevocably changed. For the women at the heart of the storm they have only one weapon; and when it's no longer enough to be the mistress Mary must groom her younger sister in the ways of the king. What happens next is common knowledge -- but here it is told in a way we've never heard it before with all of Philippa Gregory's characteristic perceptiveness backed by meticulous research and superb storytelling skills.
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
She bore his child and then he made her sister Queen.An extraordinary tale of sex, passion ... more
and royal intrigue. This is the little-known story of Mary Boleyn who was mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her older sister, Anne. Inspired by Philippa Gregory's best selling novel, this film is about great families jockeying for position and using their daughters as pawns in a deadly game. Set during one of the most notorious periods in British regal history, it is a powerful narrative and at its heart is the relationship between two rivals - the Boleyn sisters.
A sumptuous and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayel set against the backdrop of ... more
a defining moment in European history, The Other Boleyn Girl tells the story of two beautiful sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) who, driven by their family's blind ambition, complete for the love of the handsome and passionate King Henry VIII. (Erica Bana) While both women eventually share the King's bed, only one will ascend to the throne for a bried and turbulent reign that ends tragically with a swing of the executioner's sword.
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Martin Brest - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Marcia Gay Harden, Jake Weber, Claire Forlani, Jeffrey Tambor
Main Cast:
Nathalie Portman - Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson - Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana - King Henry VIII
Ana Torrent - Queen Catherine
Jim Sturgess - George Boleyn
Mark Rylance - ... .../>
How in the name of Cardinal Wolsey do you make a film about Anne Boleyn that manages to be dull? How, for that matter, do you make a film about Anne Boleyn that doesn't even name (let alone feature) Cardinal Wolsey? The answer, it seems, is to make a high budget adaptation of Philippa Gregory's bestselling historical novel and turn it into a bland bed-hopping soap opera. That is not to say that a soap opera would in itself be bad - after ... more
Main Cast: Nathalie Portman - Anne Boleyn Scarlett Johansson - Mary Boleyn Eric Bana - King Henry VIII Ana Torrent - Queen Catherine Jim Sturgess - George Boleyn Mark Rylance - Sir Thomas Boleyn Kristin Scott Thomas - Lady Elizabeth Boleyn David Morrissey - Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk
How in the name of Cardinal Wolsey do you make a film about Anne Boleyn that manages to be dull? How, for that matter, do you make a film about Anne Boleyn that doesn't even name (let alone feature) Cardinal Wolsey? The answer, it seems, is to make a high budget adaptation of Philippa Gregory's bestselling historical novel and turn it into a bland bed-hopping soap opera. That is not to say that a soap opera would in itself be bad - after all, that is what "The Tudors" has done for the same period, and look how entertaining that is. As a fan of Gregory's thoroughly researched and intelligently written work, it was perhaps inevitable that I would succumb to the temptation to go and see this film. I had already seen the considerably lower budget version (produced in 2003, also by BBC films) with Natascha McElhone and Jodhi May as Mary and Anne respectively, which was rather a good adaptation of the novel. I was curious to see what the extra money would do to such rich source material; the potential for a really great film was clearly there, and I wanted to see if it would be taken.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" covers ground that will be largely familiar to most viewers: the infamous relationship between King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) and Anne Boleyn (Nathalie Portman). The twist to Gregory's novel was that she included Anne's doe-eyed sister Mary (Scarlett Johansson) in the plot, a woman that is usually lost to historical portrayals of the Tudor court at this time. Set over several years in the 1520s and early 1530s, we meet a King Henry who has been married to his Spanish Queen, Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent), for many years and who flaunts his regular affairs openly about the court. They have only one surviving child, Princess Mary, leaving Henry torn by anger and frustration that he has no legitimate son to become heir to the throne that his father won in battle. When Henry visits the Boleyn family home of Hever castle, his attention is inevitably drawn to the two nubile daughters of Sir Thomas Boleyn (Jim Sturgess) and his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) - first to the feisty Anne, who joins his hunting trip, and then to the more homely Mary, who tends him after he falls from his horse. This attraction isn't missed by Sir Thomas' brutish brother-in-law, the Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey), who sees a tempting opportunity to exploit the King's failing marriage and weakness for beautiful women, while at the same time increasing his family's status by gaining royal favour. Despite her recent wedding to a drippy local merchant, Norfolk and Boleyn propose that Mary becomes Henry's mistress: in effect, they act as pimps. All is going well for the Boleyn family until Anne appears at court and gleefully takes Henry's attention away from her sister - the rest, as they say, is history.
One of the reasons why the story of Henry and Anne has been retold so often is not just because it is a key point in British history: it is also a really compelling story in its own right. You would be hard pressed to find the compelling narrative in Peter Morgan's scripting of the novel, though - the plot is under-written to the point of sketchiness, key characters (not least Wolsey, as I have already mentioned) are chopped out altogether, and the final third of the film (which in reality took place over several years) feels so rushed that you can't help but wonder if the production team just got bored with the whole project. While I have some background knowledge of this period, I wasn't sure if someone coming to it afresh would actually be able to follow the weak plotting and make sense of parts of it. Although it can be unfair to compare some films to their source novels - this film is quite honestly an insult to Gregory's book - works such as "atonement" show just how well novels can be brought alive on the screen with a little care and attention to what made the written work so good.
The casting was also a little dubious. When I first heard that Johansson and Portman had been cast as Mary and Anne I merely raised my eyebrows and wondered how two people who look so unlike could possibly appear to be sisters. I hoped that the acting would overcome this odd pairing, but I remain unconvinced by it. Portman does the best Anne Boleyn she could manage given the material she had to work with, while Johansson tries to replicate the wonderfully demure Greet from "girl with a pearl earring" and fails. Both grope for the subtleties in characterisation that would bring their roles to life - while Eric Bana just gropes. Fine actor as he is, he was simply wrong for the part of Henry, never managing to exert the passion, anger, arrogance and lust for total power and control that the part demanded. Quite honestly, David Morrissey would have been a better choice for Henry, given the force he brought to his relatively minor role as Norfolk.
That said, there are moments when you catch a glimpse of how good this film could have been. The cinematography, production design and costume were expertly done; the CGI recreations of Tudor buildings and landscapes were detailed and realistic, and Kristin Scott Thomas shows just how possible it is to bring depth to a two-dimensional character. The film does also manage to succeed in part at bringing out the human drama behind the power wars and politicking that are so familiar to anyone with an interest in Tudor history, but that is the key thing: in part. If "The Other Boleyn Girl" had kept up the standard shown in some scenes (such as when Norfolk's proposal is first put to Mary) in the whole movie - and lengthened it a little to reduce the feeling of it being over-edited towards the end - then the result would have been a good deal more enjoyable and true to its source work.
Ultimately, this is not a film I feel able to recommend - it was hugely disappointing. If you have a serious interest in this period, I would suggest you read the novel (or any of Gregory's Tudor novels for that matter, they are generally very good and all are thoroughly researched). If your interest is less serious, I would suggest looking out for the 2003 BBC film (see http://tinyurl.com/2ohcmz). If you care not for historical accuracies, then watch "The Tudors" (see http://tinyurl.com/39yfob). Just don't bother with this mediocre re-hashing of the story.
Official film site: www.sonypictures.com/movies/theotherboleyngirl/ IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0467200/
...Gregory’s well-researched novels set in the period. One of my favourites was the other Boleyn girl, so when I received the DVD of the same name as a present I couldn’t wait to watch it. However as this review will show my excitement was ill founded!
The cast.
***********
Natalie Portman-Anne Boleyn.
Scarlett Johansson-Mary Boleyn.
Eric Bana-King Henry V111.
Ana Torren-Queen Catherine of Aragon.
Jim Sturgess- George Boleyn.
Kristin Scott Thomas-Lady ... ...minutes.
The story begins when Anne, Mary and their brother George are young children. The opening scene shows the three children playing happily together. Their parents are discussing a marriage for Mary. Mary is married to William Carey who is described as the son of a local merchant. There is brief scene showing the wedding celebration.
The story continues with King Henry paying a visit to the Boleyn household at Hever castle. The beautiful ...
anwar 16.03.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Other Boleyn Girl (DVD)
Advantages: Good acting and good storyline Disadvantages: Predictable and more for the women
...things I was taught and the wives of Henry 8th is one of them so the outcome of this film for me was already in the back of my mind. I did still want to see this film though as I wanted to watch the journey which the sisters took to get to the king, it also stars a few actors which I quite like.
The Boleyn family are quite well off but the father, Sir Thomas is always looking for ways to better his families position. He watches his daughter grow ... ...connections but he decides that the younger sister, Mary can marry as she chooses. The girls grow and soon Mary is married and enjoying her life. The Duke of Norfolk, the girls uncle takes an interest in the family and gives the father a proposition which would make a missive impact on the family. He knows that the King is having marriage problems as his wife has given him a daughter and he only desires an air to his throne so the Uncle and Father ...
sewbizzie 28.11.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Other Boleyn Girl (DVD)
Advantages: lavish set and stunning costumes Disadvantages: fact and fiction
...Synopsis ~~~
It is the Tudor times and Henry VIII is ruling England, currently married to Catherine of Aragon, she cannot bear him a male heir to his kingdom. Enter the Boleyn family with their two girls, Mary and Anne. The Duke of Norfolk, a conniving uncle manipulates Anne into becoming the King's mistress. However, Henry is more enamoured by Anne's sister Mary, entering into a secret affair and ultimately producing a son out of wedlock. Feeling ... ...her King vowing to produce the male heir he does not have.
Will Anne succeed in her desire to become Queen and control England?
As the outcome is very well documented it is not like I would ruin the film for you if I told you the story, but the way it unfolds in the movie is very well written. But in any case, you can find out the historical facts or you could watch the movie and enjoy a splendid cinematic adaptation.
~~~ My Thoughts ~~~
The ...
jupiter28 12.08.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Other Boleyn Girl (DVD)
Advantages: A great central performance from Natalie Portman. Disadvantages: Wishy-washy characterisation and weak writing.
The Boleyn sisters Anne and Mary are driven by their ambitious uncle and father to advance the family's position by marrying into wealth and power. Mary is married off to a wealthy merchant's son, but Anne is intended to court the affections of King Henry VIII. However, things don't quite go to plan with the monarch falling for Mary with whom he fathers an illegitimate child. But undeterred Anne is educated in intrigue and sensuality, eventually ... ...Anne's fearless conniving to win the edge over her sister places her in more danger than she could possibly imagine.
Everything about Justin Chadwick's production screams tent-pole heritage film. It's got big name stars in fancy dresses wandering through sweeping pastoral landscapes and dancing around palaces and country piles. There's intrigue, romance and a smattering of tastefully shot sex. But somehow it never feels like more than the sum of ...
afy9mab 11.04.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Other Boleyn Girl (DVD)
Advantages: Beautiful lead actressess and sumptuous costumes. Disadvantages: Historically inaccurate and a bit rushed at the end.
...This movie is based on the book by Phillipa Gregory and features Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn, Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Eric Bana as Henry VIII. If you can set aside the fact that there are many historical inaccuracies you will enjoy the movie for what it is. An examination of sisterly love and how a man came between them.
Katherine of Aragon, the King's wife suffers continually from miscarriages and has failed to produce the male ... ...want to install Anne as the king's mistress in the hope that she will bear him a son, thus furthering their own political ambitions.
Their plans go somewhat awry as Henry has a hunting accident, caused in part by Anne and he is instead nursed by Mary, with whom he becomes smitten. Mary has recently been married and her and her husband, George Carrey, reluctantly accept positions at court. Both knowing full well that Mary will become the king's mistress.
...
space_chick2004 20.10.2008 (21.10.2008)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Other Boleyn Girl (DVD)
A sexy, good-looking political bodice-ripper with an almost flawless cast at the top of its game (Variety, 29/02/2008)
DVD Description
An extraordinary tale of sex, passion and royal intrigue. This is the little-known story of Mary Boleyn who was mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her older sister, Anne. Inspired by Philippa Gregory's novel of the same name, this film is about great families jockeying for position and using their daughters as pawns in a deadly game. Set during one of the most notorious periods in British regal history, it is a powerful narrative and at its heart is the relationship between two rivals - the Boleyn sisters.
Compare The Other Boleyn Girl (DVD) to other similar Drama »
![The Other Boleyn Girl [DVD] [2008]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/79124883.jpg)
![The Other Boleyn Girl [DVD] [2003]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78679273.jpg)
