The Other Boleyn Girl review
There has been endless miniseries and movies about Henry the eighth and his cut from the catholic church and this is probably not the best or the worst interpretation of such events but rather a different take on it.
The first shot of the movie, cue in golden wheat and two little girls frollicking in the fields. The parents discuss their fate as the children guilessly look on. Perhaps this is what we should get from the movie, that the manipulations and ambitions of the males in this family are what brought down the disgrace of the family.
Don't expect historical accuracy here, the truth is half of it was invented. This is more ala " The Ugly Stepsister" , as in seeing the story from another point of view i.e. Scarlett Johanssen who plays " the other sister." Her performance by the way, is quite stony coupled with perplexed stares and pouty lips. This might have worked in " A girl with the pearl earring" but more fleshed out acting was needed in this one.
Bad accents aside, Anne Bolelyn is a bit two dimensional for my taste. Sure, we see her ambition to be queen, but very little of her personality is revealed in the beginning of the film so we are unable to see a huge " transformation" which caused the King to relinquish his interest of her sister.
Instead of seeing this as a historical movie, rather see it as it is a thinly veiled critique and observation of women's place in British court and how as the Boleyn Matriarch puts it " are traded like cattle.."
Natalie Portman gives a good performance, although I am not entirely convinced of her desperation in the last part of the movie which would lead her to bed with her brother ( and by the way aren't there a dozen serving boys around to do the deed to show her pregnancy...lame excuse!)
In order to fit in all the historical benchmarks of the movie, the last half of the movie seemed clumsy and rushed. I did enjoy the acting and lines from the Queen of England who reminded her King that he was giving up everything for a girl . The actress who played her was brilliant and stole the scenes from " the Boleyn whores". Ha! Loves it... ( She was after all the only one of the King's women who came out of the thing with her dignity intact....)
The film warns us of the pitfalls of ambition and revenge, and can only bring hardship. The first sister, who did things out of love or the second one who did things purely for ambition sake. In the end, the king would resent her for it and despising her.
Of course this is a watered down version of the facts but hey whatever works. That said, this is a good movie to be entertained but don't expect to remember much of it afterwards. It does make me want to read the book if only to see the real fleshed out characterization instead of the watered down version the movie offers.
The first shot of the movie, cue in golden wheat and two little girls frollicking in the fields. The parents discuss their fate as the children guilessly look on. Perhaps this is what we should get from the movie, that the manipulations and ambitions of the males in this family are what brought down the disgrace of the family.
Don't expect historical accuracy here, the truth is half of it was invented. This is more ala " The Ugly Stepsister" , as in seeing the story from another point of view i.e. Scarlett Johanssen who plays " the other sister." Her performance by the way, is quite stony coupled with perplexed stares and pouty lips. This might have worked in " A girl with the pearl earring" but more fleshed out acting was needed in this one.
Bad accents aside, Anne Bolelyn is a bit two dimensional for my taste. Sure, we see her ambition to be queen, but very little of her personality is revealed in the beginning of the film so we are unable to see a huge " transformation" which caused the King to relinquish his interest of her sister.
Instead of seeing this as a historical movie, rather see it as it is a thinly veiled critique and observation of women's place in British court and how as the Boleyn Matriarch puts it " are traded like cattle.."
Natalie Portman gives a good performance, although I am not entirely convinced of her desperation in the last part of the movie which would lead her to bed with her brother ( and by the way aren't there a dozen serving boys around to do the deed to show her pregnancy...lame excuse!)
In order to fit in all the historical benchmarks of the movie, the last half of the movie seemed clumsy and rushed. I did enjoy the acting and lines from the Queen of England who reminded her King that he was giving up everything for a girl . The actress who played her was brilliant and stole the scenes from " the Boleyn whores". Ha! Loves it... ( She was after all the only one of the King's women who came out of the thing with her dignity intact....)
The film warns us of the pitfalls of ambition and revenge, and can only bring hardship. The first sister, who did things out of love or the second one who did things purely for ambition sake. In the end, the king would resent her for it and despising her.
Of course this is a watered down version of the facts but hey whatever works. That said, this is a good movie to be entertained but don't expect to remember much of it afterwards. It does make me want to read the book if only to see the real fleshed out characterization instead of the watered down version the movie offers.
Film & TV on DVD
Good review of a film I'm undecided about. Will wait for DVd to check it out I think.
Wingy's Youtube
ThirtyInMotion
however, it is not altogether horrible either.