The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

I wonder whether there is any historical accuracy to the plot of this film. It was well done, and fairly well acted, and honestly quite interesting. I´d like to think that I may have learned something, too. But did I?

Actually I would've given this movie an 8 but I find I have to compensate for the idiots who review on IMDb using their personal tastes instead of some artistic criteria. If you want movies to be exactly tailored to your taste MAKE YOUR OWN MOVIE.I also have to compensate for the 'history must be as accurate as a documentary' idiots. If you want precision watch a documentary. This is historic FICTION if you can't understand that within the first 15 minutes of the movie I just don't know what to tell you.Now that I've got that out of the way... This is a well done costume drama. Natalie Portman as Anne and Scarlett Johansson as Mary are just incredible. Natalie shines, especially. The movie is as accurate as it needs to be to tell the story of two sisters set against each other and a family doomed by it's father's ambition, the intrigues of court and the whims of a king. All the actors are great.The story is very engaging and as I usually do with historic fiction, I checked it against the Wiki entry on the subject and found it be accurate on all major points. The direction and art production are also good.This movie got me from the very beginning and I found myself rooting for characters even though I knew how it would end for them.Yes, the movie does have some rough edges but for what it is and what it sets out to do, it succeeds. It's a compelling story, well told and well acted and if you like historic fiction and costume drama, well worth your while.

Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) is the older sister embodying the hopes of her family. Mary (Scarlett Johansson) is the other sister and her good heart is not seen as being useful. With no male heir, King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) is frustrated with his marriage to Catherine of Aragon after a stillborn male baby. The Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey) sees a way to introduce his niece as a mistress to the king. Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance) and Norfolk's sister Lady Elizabeth Boleyn (Kristin Scott Thomas) offer the more outgoing unmarried Anne. Instead, the king is taken with the shy Mary who recently married William Carey (Benedict Cumberbatch) hoping for a quiet life. Mary is ordered to be the king's mistress and one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting. The family joins her in court as they gain in prestige. Anne secretly marries nobleman Henry Percy and tells her brother George (Jim Sturgess). George tells Mary who then tells her parents fearing a scandal over Percy who is engaged to another arranged by the king. Anne is exiled to the French court. She would return to take the king from Mary. She would give birth to future queen Elizabeth. Mary is widowed and remarries William Stafford (Eddie Redmayne). Ambitious courtesan Jane Parker (Juno Temple) marries George and would cause a great royal scandal.Anne seems to be written as the flamboyant sister while Mary is the shy one. Portman is older than Johansson and that does fit the Boleyn sisters. However, I think Johansson and Portman are more fit in personality to switch their roles. It's pushing through a lot of plot and the material may be better for a TV series. The actors are capable and the story is fascinating. The execution is a little flat but still very watchable as a vast costume soap opera.

Of course, it is politically correct to nail everything on men in this period of history. It's true some of them had been manipulative, but one cannot reproach Henry for wanting a male heir. One shouldn't forget that these times were dangerous ones, for everybody, men and women alike.No, when I saw the movie, I kept saying to myself : Ann is the perfect slut, using all female weapons, jealous of her sister etc... That such a snake should be beheaded was no Wonder.The question is : is all this historically true, or have the script writers spiced the portray of this lady ? If so, I think Ann deserved what happened to her, considering of course the criteria of this period of history.