The Other Boleyn Girl Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 03.03.2008
The other Webb boy says this film could have been better.
Natalie Portman: Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson: Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana: Henry Tudor
Jim Sturgess: George Boleyn
Mark Rylance: Sir Thomas Boleyn
Kristin Scott Thomas: Lady Elizabeth Boleyn
David Morrissey: The Duke of Norfolk
Benedict Cumberbatch: William Carey
Oliver Coleman: Henry Percy
Ana Torrent: Katherine of Aragon
Directed By: Justin Chadwick
Written By: Peter Morgan
Release Date: February 29, 2008
Running Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images.
The possibilities of bringing Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson together for a feature film were endless. The two hot young actresses are likable, attractive, and talented. Their chemistry could be a spectacular match made in Heaven. This is Sam fromGarden State and Charlotte from Lost in Translation joining forces. The resulting period drama, The Other Boleyn Girl was probably not what the legions of male fans and critics were expecting or hoping for, but be that as it may. While it conveys none of the appeal these two possess, The Other Boleyn Girl is a well acted picture. However, the wishy-washy direction prevents it from ever becoming memorable.
The story follows two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (carlett Johansson), who are thrust into a life of love, betrayal, and romance by their father Sir Thomas (Mark Rylance) with King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) of England. Thomas wants to advance the family’s status more than anything else in the world. They leave the country way of living, and head into the royal court. Anne and Mary soon develop a bitter rivalry for affections of the King, which initially goes in favor of Mary. She bears Henry Tudor an illegitimate child, while Anne is in France. When Anne returns, she uses her cunning ability to capture the King’s eye. She does not just want his love though. Anne has her sights set on the throne, and aims for Queen Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent). As England endures some significant events that alters their future, the Boleyn sisters must find a way to strengthen their bond despite the tragic consequences that will follow.
The odd twist is that The Other Boleyn Girl concludes with a note that tells the audience it intended to be a prequel to Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age in a trilogy of sorts, even though this was released by Sony Columbia, and the previous two from Universal. As for historical accuracy, this is based on a novel by Philippa Gregory, a heavily romanticized one to be exact. I have always forgiven historical data if the film is entertaining on a respectful degree. Peter Morgan’s admirable screenplay is acceptable. I can look past the fact that the Boleyn sisters were not close at all, and that most of the events which are depicted here are debatable, but that makes no difference. Anyone who knows even a smidgen about 16th century England, probably has heard of Anne Boleyn’s fate, so spoilers need not apply in this review.
The Other Boleyn Girl establishes a focus more on the emotional and psychological aspects of this time, rather than on momentous happenings like the separation from the Catholic Church. In this manner, it is very contrasting of Kapur’s two Elizabeth pieces, but there are more differences worth noting. For starters, Kapur’s method of filmmaking was lavish, epic, and all-encompassing. Director Justin Chadwick crafts The Other Boleyn Girl with consummate production values, but the dreary lighting hangs over the running time like an ominous dark cloud that refuses to disappear. Repeated viewings of this would be straining all because of how gloomy the mood is expressed. The majority of the scenes occur in shadowy rooms, dim hallways, and in the confines of the bleak castle walls.
Regardless of the absence of popular British thespians to inhabit the familiar roles of Monarchs and mistresses relating to royals, this is a wisely cast movie. The three leads have been portrayed on television and in film countless times prior to this. Specifically, this marks the fifteenth version of Anne Boleyn, the fourth for Mary Boleyn, and as for Henry Tudor, it ventures past fifty, just to give you an idea. This is vital to remember because making a lasting impression as any of these people is difficult.
Natalie Portman is fantastic as Anne Boleyn as she instills a conniving and seductive spin on this well-known historical figure. Her accent is just as solid as it was in V for Vendetta, and she does have a striking similarity to the actual Anne, or at least as much as one could hope for with a modern interpretation. Even when the story is not clearly concentrating on Anne, she is always the core of the situation. After an up and down year in 2007 with a horrible performance in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, yet terrific efforts in Paris, Je, T’aime and Hotel Chevalier, Portman delivers her customary effective work, though she is capable of more. As the story progresses, Portman continues to improve.
Portman and Johansson play sisters, and to be frank, they struggle as a duo on screen. The chemistry is adequate, but not what anyone was wishing for. Luckily, the moments they share are few and far between, and the ones that are included are kept fairly brief. Scarlett Johansson is equally as convincing and stirring as the good natured and wholesome Mary Boleyn, who makes the mistake of falling in love with Henry VIII. He wants none of that. He’d rather chase what he couldn’t have right away. The last couple choices for Johansson have been less than stellar to say the least with The Black Dahlia and The Nanny Diaries. A supporting turn in The Prestige was commendable, but she definitely has been slipping. As Mary, she does indeed showcase her acting chops, which expose a helplessness of a girl in over her head.
Since 2005, Eric Bana has been honing and enhancing his skills non-stop with Munich, Lucky You, and the yet to be released in the US, Romulus, My Father. He takes a relatively thin rendering of Henry Tudor, and reveals how breathtaking he really can be. His voice, his long stares, and that imposing walk of his transforms Bana into a Henry VIII that is certainly intimidating, but also gentle and impulsive. Unfortunately, most of the time, Henry appears as nothing more than a guy who had a lot of sex, and desperately wanted a male heir. David Morrissey as the Duke of Norfolk, Ana Torrent as Catherine of Aragon, Mark Rylance as Sir Thomas Boleyn, and Across the Universe’s Jim Sturgess as George Boleyn all supply motivated performances as well.
What constantly plagues this film is Justin Chadwick’s unstable approach with Anne Boleyn. One moment she is the victim of her father’s obsession with the family’s position, next she is a sneaky and manipulative villain, and then we are told to feel sympathy for her. A mixed signal is sent to the viewers, which severely hurts the reaction and aftertaste. Chadwick has contributed primarily to television shows before The Other Boleyn Girl, and sadly, his inexperience with mainstream cinema is obvious. This was filmed at so many great locations, yet rarely are they seen. In the beginning as Henry is riding to the Boleyn house, an outstanding landscape can be admired for a second, but that’s about it. His sense of pacing is invigorating and suspenseful, despite the awareness of the ending, but he is clueless when it comes to atmosphere, attitude, and scope all of which are lacking.
So who was Anne Boleyn? I’m still not sure, and to be truthful, I don’t care. The Other Boleyn Girl suffers from a weak bodice-ripper poster image, and being unsure of what it truly wanted to be. The desire for period dramas is declining, but when done correctly, they can still be the best examples of experiencing all facets of excellent filmmaking. With a more qualified director, this could have been sufficient melodrama, instead of trite. As I write this, a Saturday Night Live skit is airing featuring Ellen Page and Kenan Thompson as 2 of 4 Boleyn sisters in The Other Boleyn Girls, proving how easy this was to spoof.
The 411: Any movie with Johansson and Portman together catches my attention, even if it wasn’t the plot I would have chosen for them. The problem is period dramas tend to come and go and fall in the huge pile that is mediocre and forgettable. As you may have guessed, The Other Boleyn Girl will not be a future Oscar contender, nor will many moviegoers speak of it again after a few weeks. Despite a uniformly strong cast who hand in fine performances, Director Justin Chadwick shows he has a lot of improvements to make if he wants to become a respected filmmaker. If you enjoy period romances, just wait for DVD if you absolutely must see this. Otherwise, don’t bother at all.
