The Other Boleyn Girl | 
 enlarge | Director: Justin Chadwick
Actors: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Jim Sturgess, Mark Rylance
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Category: Movie
This item is no longer available
Rating:  171 reviews
Sales Rank: 3260
Genre: Drama - Historical
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 116 Minutes
ASIN: B001D7TW8U
Theatrical Release Date: February 29, 2008
Release Date: November 10, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
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| Synopsis:
A sumptuous and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in European history: two beautiful sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, driven by their family's blind ambition, compete for the love of the handsome and passionate King Henry VIII. |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 166 more reviews...
 Moving all the way to the end. November 28, 2008
Tactic Kid (NLV, NV USA)
I am not big on these type of movies, but I have to say this one moved me.
 Appalling mediocrity November 28, 2008
Roberto Torretti (Santiago, Chile)
After watching for a couple of weeks, at the rate of one episode per night, Michael Hirst's TV series The Tudors" The Tudors - The Complete First SeasonThe Tudors - Season 2, I was appalled by the bad acting, the awful dialogue and the general lack of artistry of this movie. Only the lighting of some interiors, deftly imitated from Vermeer, and a few pretty --yet trite-- open air scenes earns it a second star with me. Otherwise, it can serve only as a foil against which one can better appreciate Hirst's apt and often incisive dialogue, as well as the incredibly lively and attractive acting of Rhys Meyer and Dorman as Henry and Ann (not to mention the splendid performances of the actors who impersonate Wolsey, Thomas More, Catherine of Aragon, the Earl of Wiltshire, and almost every other significant character). Historical accuracy might not stand high in the minds of the authors of either production, but where the soap opera succeeds in providing a quite impressive view of power struggles in 16th century England (and Europe), the present movie does not make it even as a sordid sex story.
Reader's Digest had a hand in this? November 23, 2008
Joseph
I recently watched this movie, and I have mixed feeling about it. While it is true that historical accuracy is stretched and the dialogue isn't exactly period, I enjoyed the performance given by the actors chosen for the role, and much of the movie on its own account. However, the movie generally is choppy, not unlike a Reader's Digest version of something longer...I am left with the notion that this DVD is actually meant for Prime Time Television, edited for time allotted between commercials, and so left me feeling cheated. I wonder if Justin Chadwick (the Director) just lost interest in the project. SO, not a movie to buy, but not too bad a rental for a rainy day.
 The Other Boleyn Girl November 22, 2008
Madeline R. Zung
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was a wonderful film. Very true, historically. Well acted. Authentic costumes. Good character development. Well done!
A passionate and complex film. November 20, 2008
Steven Hedge (Somewhere "East of Eden")
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a beautifully acted, scripted, and directed period film.
I know there are a number of inaccuracies regarding the historical elements in this film, but that's to be expected from Hollywood. I found the story riveting, the performances strong and convincing, and the plot, whether inaccurate or not, very believable and rather very likely.
It is something of a revisionist's version of what had happened in King Henry VIII's reign in that Anne Boleyn was one of the most hated women in British history and often considered/described as the stereotypical gold digger, but I have always felt there was much more to the story than the tidbits of the bias history presented about her. This tale presents a very different view of Anne Boleyn, brilliantly portrayed by Natalie Portman of Star Wars Prequel Trilogy fame, who seems more a victim of her family's quest for power and influence which, quite frankly, would be a far more likely scenario than the concept of the independent, crafty gold digger that history seems to constantly portray her as. Sometimes a revisionist notion of history can seriously provide a more likely reality and I think this version does that. It was not unheard of for men in power to pimp their daughters out to their own advantage.
Eric Bana makes a very convincing King Henry VIII and is perhaps one of the few who make him out to be something considerably more than the monster history seems to make him out to be. It is still an unflinching, negative, self-serving, egotistical King Henry we all have come to know from history books, but Bana creates a more complex, tormented Henry that makes him more round and believable.
History seems to have him very much in love with his first wife Catherine, but hurt and disgusted that she could not produce a male heir for him. When charmed by Anne either through her own covert actions or by her family's considerable influence, or some combination of both, Henry pretty much goes nuts in an effort to gain Anne and a male heir to his throne. Men have gone nuts over women over far less, so what makes this scenario so hard to believe? I, for one, think it is very likely that this is exactly what led up to his "divorce" of Catherine and war with the Catholic Church.
Sadly, this put Anne at a disadvantage from the start and was a source of trouble between her and Henry right from the get go. Some argue that Anne and Henry's relationship declined slowly over time, but I attest that their marriage was contentious from the start due to the fact Henry ripped apart a nation over Anne, who was soundly rejected by the people, couldn't produce a male heir after numerous attempts, and was executed by Henry after just barely three years as his wife on what was most likely trumped up charges. Heck, they didn't call her "Anne of a thousand days" for nothing.
The "other" Boleyn girl is played with great subtly and inner strength by Scarlett Johansson who completely disappears into this role. I simply found it hard to recognize her from some of her other films like The Island and Match Point. It wasn't the make up or British accent so much as to the fact she was a completely different person in this film. She is terrifically understated here.
All other cast members are excellent as is the script, cinematography, set designs, music, and direction. This is a solidly made film, but it isn't perfect and it won't please everyone, as some will be offended by the historical "guesses" that take place. Well, regardless of the accuracies or inaccuracies of this historical period and these pivotal players in it, this film is extremely entertaining.
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