“The Other Boleyn Girl†is a little better than mediocre due partly to the formulaic plot line and slow-moving scenes. The film isn’t quite as solid as it could have been, feeling more like an edgy cable miniseries than a fleshed-out big-screen offering. In spite of that, overall it is entertaining to fans of period pieces because it serves up the costumes and the dramatic royal dealings of the times that fans of those tried and true devices always come back for.
Natalie Portman plays Anne Boleyn, one of the famed wives of Henry VIII. Portman has not developed the range she should have by this time in her career, given her stellar performance in “The Professional,†where she was thought to be the child prodigy actor. She falls quite short of the larger-than-life persona that was required for a film like this, especially in the lead role. Scarlett Johansson plays the lesser-known Mary Boleyn, who was said to be one of Henry’s notorious long-term mistresses. Johansson, although stunning and carrying a far superior accent than Portman, does her usual brooding, soft-spoken persona. Together they form an overall understated performance, one that doesn’t evoke passion or drama within the audience.
This fiction version of the story has the two sisters vying for the king’s attention, played by Eric Bana. He takes Mary Boleyn as a mistress right away, but turns on her as encouraged by her sister Anne, who feels betrayed by Mary. As Henry becomes enraptured by Anne, you see the power he wields as notorious of monarchies: Self-serving, and sometimes unmerciful without reason. Even though he is known generally for the six wives he had, Henry VIII’s reign was a huge turning point for England’s break with the Roman Catholic Church, which is shown in the film through dramatic scenes with Anne and her demands on the king. The historical tidbits are informative, but like in the novel they are just a backdrop for the largely fictional story of the love triangle that occurs between King Henry, Mary and Anne Boleyn.
This version of the story of Henry VIII is really about the sisters’ relationship, their role as women and how much it meant at that time for the king to have a male heir to the throne. As Anne gets more desperate to be the one to give Henry the son he desires, you see how much it will affect her by the impulsive, unforgiving king’s reaction. Bana plays the king part coolly, but lacks the power that should really be behind this character. He also has Johansson syndrome, which is to say that he drones his way through much of the films he has performed in, falling just beneath the radar of emotional intensity.
The one standout performance is Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays the mother of Mary and Anne, Lady Elizabeth Boleyn. In her small time on the screen, she has a genuine tone to her dialogue delivery, and delivers the emotional heartbreak and helplessness of her character as she watches her children suffer through the trials and tribulations of King Henry’s court life.
The set design and the costumes were solid for a period piece, but it would have been nice to see some variation on it; something fresh and new since it was based on a novel and did not need to be historically precise. Both elements don’t hold as much weight as the performances in this type of film, however, because ultimately it is a character-driven film.
If you have a penchant for period pieces and crave a good love triangle, then “The Other Boleyn Girl†is a watchable choice, but don’t lose your head over its flaws.
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