The Other Boleyn Girl
Natalie Portman - Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson - Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana - Henry VIII
advertisment
Related Content
- Lars and the Real Girl (19/08/2008)
Based on Phillippa Gregory's best selling novel, The Other Boleyn Girl is the story of love, betrayal and ultimately forgiveness between the Boleyn sister you know, and the sister you don't.
Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn are born into a respectable yet 'financially challenged' family. To try and revive the family fortune and status, their ambitious father (Mark Rylance) and uncle (the Duke of Norfolk, played by David Morrissey) hatch a plot to effectively pimp the older sister, Anne, to the King in the hopes of her becoming his mistress.
After inviting him to visit their estate, disaster strikes when the King is injured whilst out riding with Anne. But out of adversity opportunity arises as the King becomes smitten with Mary as she nurses him back to health. On his arrival back to London, the besotted king commands Mary and her family to court. Oh, and this includes Mary's soon to be cuckolded husband, Sir William Carey (Benedict Cumberbatch).
The girls' genteel upbringing has not prepared them for the dangerous and politically charged world of court life into which they are propelled as ladies in waiting to Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent). This includes, on meeting for the first time, Catherine subjecting Mary to an X Factor ordeal that would make Simon Cowell blush.
Mary is not a lady to be left waiting and quickly is summoned to the King's bed. As initial passion begins to turn into love, Mary quickly learns that to catch a king is one thing, but to keep him is another. Fallen pregnant and 'indisposed', Anne, who is far from happy for her sister, embarks on a ruthless pursuit of the King driven by ambition rather than affection or love.
The rest, as they say, is history. Anne, of course, ultimately wins, but her victory is short lived. Despite giving the King a child and future monarch (Elizabeth), she suffers a further series of miscarriages, and having been a mistress, recognizes the signs of her husband's wandering eye. Battle lines drawn for the love of the King, this film explores the consequences of ambition versus the bond of family.
I enjoyed this film immensely. Johansson and Portman bring a smoldering sibling rivalry to their roles. Eric Bana, though, is disappointing. His character just isn't as commanding or convincing as recent Henrys, for example those of Ray Winstone or Jonathan Rhys Meyers. For my money, it's the performances of the leading Brits - especially Morrissey's conniving Duke of Norfolk - that steal the film. Given that this is in part a BBC film about a quintessential period of English history, why no Brits in the main roles? This year's Oscars have shown we can act a bit!
As a romantic historical lesson (a "RomHis" if you will), be warned this adaptation of Gregory's novel further alters or ignore actual historic events, primarily to portray Mary Boleyn in a more positive light. Director Justin Chadwick (BBC's Bleak House) in his big screen debut takes ten years of history and ultimately falters a little with portraying the passage of time, for example when Anne is banished to France, she appears back in time for the evening banquet.
Nonetheless, The Other Boleyn Girl is a very enjoyable and compelling slice of Tudor debauchery.
After inviting him to visit their estate, disaster strikes when the King is injured whilst out riding with Anne. But out of adversity opportunity arises as the King becomes smitten with Mary as she nurses him back to health. On his arrival back to London, the besotted king commands Mary and her family to court. Oh, and this includes Mary's soon to be cuckolded husband, Sir William Carey (Benedict Cumberbatch).
The girls' genteel upbringing has not prepared them for the dangerous and politically charged world of court life into which they are propelled as ladies in waiting to Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent). This includes, on meeting for the first time, Catherine subjecting Mary to an X Factor ordeal that would make Simon Cowell blush.
Mary is not a lady to be left waiting and quickly is summoned to the King's bed. As initial passion begins to turn into love, Mary quickly learns that to catch a king is one thing, but to keep him is another. Fallen pregnant and 'indisposed', Anne, who is far from happy for her sister, embarks on a ruthless pursuit of the King driven by ambition rather than affection or love.
The rest, as they say, is history. Anne, of course, ultimately wins, but her victory is short lived. Despite giving the King a child and future monarch (Elizabeth), she suffers a further series of miscarriages, and having been a mistress, recognizes the signs of her husband's wandering eye. Battle lines drawn for the love of the King, this film explores the consequences of ambition versus the bond of family.
I enjoyed this film immensely. Johansson and Portman bring a smoldering sibling rivalry to their roles. Eric Bana, though, is disappointing. His character just isn't as commanding or convincing as recent Henrys, for example those of Ray Winstone or Jonathan Rhys Meyers. For my money, it's the performances of the leading Brits - especially Morrissey's conniving Duke of Norfolk - that steal the film. Given that this is in part a BBC film about a quintessential period of English history, why no Brits in the main roles? This year's Oscars have shown we can act a bit!
As a romantic historical lesson (a "RomHis" if you will), be warned this adaptation of Gregory's novel further alters or ignore actual historic events, primarily to portray Mary Boleyn in a more positive light. Director Justin Chadwick (BBC's Bleak House) in his big screen debut takes ten years of history and ultimately falters a little with portraying the passage of time, for example when Anne is banished to France, she appears back in time for the evening banquet.
Nonetheless, The Other Boleyn Girl is a very enjoyable and compelling slice of Tudor debauchery.
Here Is The Writer : Martin Gallagher
Martin Gallagher has never played for West Ham or England, nor had a number one hit single, but he has worked in the City for many years (for what that's worth). A life-long Londoner, he made the migration from east to west a few years back and is still trying to get used to the absence of fried chicken takeaways and the over abdundance of coffee shops. Martin is married, has two daughters, and is also interested in travelling, football and writing. He hopes to publish his first novel 'sometime in the future'.
view more articles by Martin Gallagher
