Movie Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

It's a tricky road from book to film. In the case of "The Other Boleyn Girl" the road hasn't been navigated all that well, although the filmmakers haven't completely lost their way. I was a fan of the book on which this film is based, but never sure of the historical accuracy of the story. It hardly matters, however, when you have two outstanding young actresses (Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman) perfectly cast as sisters who vie for the affections of a king (as in King Henry VIII, played by Eric Bana). It seems that the fortunes of the Boleyn family rest on the ability of these young girls to attract and hold the king when the inability of his wife to provide a male heir causes him to seek solace elsewhere. Mary (Johansson) is the obedient sister who reluctantly goes to the king's bed at the command of her scheming father and uncle. Anne (Portman), the more ambitious and troublesome sister, eventually usurps Mary's place in the king's favor and will stop at nothing short of becoming queen. It's a potboiler of a tale with a strong element of melodrama that overwhelms the more human aspects in the story. One of the major downfalls of the film is the loss of many of the book's details which made things more interesting: the politics of life in the king's court, the damage caused by the king's decision to separate from the church in order to rid himself of his first wife, the devious maneuvering surrounding Anne's trial. At times important plot points are completely ignored, such as the death of Mary's first husband or the resentment the king's subjects felt towards Anne when Queen Katherine is banished to a nunnery. In light of so many omissions, it's difficult to understand some of the story developments and the characters' reactions.

Luckily, there's good chemistry between the two leading actresses, but Eric Bana seems a bit lost as King Henry. We're not given enough time with him to get any sense of his complicated personality, which also detracts from the story. Ana Torrent gives an outstanding performance as the ill fated Queen Katherine of Aragon, though her screen time is limited, and Jim Sturgess is rather silly as the Boleyn brother George, who had a more central role in the book. Director Justin Chadwick has chosen to borrow a few tricks from Shekhar Kapur (who directed the far superior film "Elizabeth"), such as aerial views that are ineffective along with some annoying ideas of his own that clutter up the action. Kristin Scott Thomas, playing the mother of the Boleyn girls, serves as a conscience in the movie, even though she was every bit as ruthlessly ambitious as the Boleyn men in the book.

"The Other Boleyn Girl" is entertaining enough, but it's also uneven, incomplete and slightly campy, an opportunity wasted to capture some of the historical intrigue and background that made the book worthwhile. Like Anne Boleyn, the filmmakers' ambitions have exceeded their grasp, though with a less tragic outcome.

Things to love about this movie: The exquisite costumes; excellent performances from the two leading actresses
Things to hate about this movie: Overblown soundtrack; annoying similarities to "Elizabeth" (a much better film); two scenes of screaming childbirth (one was quite enough)
Pleasant surprises: Johansson and Portman acquit themselves admirably and are believable for the period
Unpleasant surprises: Entire plot points have been left out; Bana seems miscast and looks a bit silly lumbering around in those puffy sleeves and elaborate outfits