Joe Barber Reviews “The Other Boleyn Girl”

by Joe Barber on Mar.04, 2008, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

The lives of royalty seem to be catnip for filmmakers and audiences alike. The latest addition to the cannon of works about England’s King Henry VIII is “The Other Boleyn Girl.” Based on the best selling novel by Phillipa Gregory, director Justin Chadwick’s film is visually attractive and benifits from the talents of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson in leading roles, but lacks the emotional spark to compare with earlier and current efforts.

As the film opens, Mary (Johansson) is about to wed a young noble and hopes to settle into a life in the country away from court intrigues. The ambitious Thomas Boleyn, Mary and Anne’s uncle, has plans of his own. Aware than Henry is displeased with the fact that his Spanish-born queen Catherine has failed to produce a male heir, Thomas plots to maneuver the King into a relationship with the high spirited and headstrong Anne (Portman.)

Brushing away his sister’s concerns and appealing to his brother-in-law’s lust for wealth and position, Thomas arranges a royal visit to the Boleyn estates so Anne can work her will/ But, when a riding accident injures Henry, he falls under the spell of Mary’s quiet decency and charm. Playing every advantage, Thomas arranges for Mary’s husband to be given a position at court, thus making it easier for the King to pursue her. This move unleashes a series of maneuvers and betrayals that threaten to topple a nation, a church and destroy a family.

Screenwriter Peter Morgan, whose screenplay for “The Queen” was nominated for an Oscar, knows how to find the human elements in th sweep of large dramas. But he and director Chadwick far too often allow major events to happen off screen or without explanation, leaving audience members frustrated and/or puzzled by the character’s actions.

While Portman, Johansson and Eric Bana (”Munich”) do their best to breathe life into their characters and the triangle of passion in which they are trapped, the script lets them down time after time.

Lacking the detail of “Anne of a Thousand Days” or “The Six Wives of King Henry VIII” and the lusty passions of Showtime’s “The Tudors,” “The Other Boleyn Girl” simply falls far too short of the mark to ascend to the throne of royal dramas.

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for brief nudity and sexual situations.

JOE’S RATING:TWO STARS.