2008 Woodie Awards
Movie Review: The Other Boleyn Girl
Meghan Driscoll
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Arts&Entertainment
"The Other Boleyn Girl" is a drama based on the book of the same name by Philippa Gregory. In the movie, two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, show how the affection and love of a king can tear a family, and perhaps a country, apart.
In the movie, the Boleyn family is living at the king's court and is hoping to advance their family status by having one of their daughters win the affection of the King of England. In the beginning, it is Mary who catches the King's eye and ends up becoming his mistress and bearing him an illegitimate child. Although Mary's feelings for the King are genuine, her sister Anne who is fueled by jealousy and greed, seeks to win over the King despite her sisters' pleas. Despite the fact that Queen Katherine of Aragon is already in the picture and her sister Mary has produced a child from her affair with the King, Anne stops at nothing to get what she wants most: to become the Queen of England.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" keeps viewers intrigued as to what will happen next, even if you are not a history buff. But anyone who's read the book, be warned, the movie does stray a bit from the original plot, much like any adaptation.
Natalie Portman does a fantastic job playing vindictive sister Anne and Scarlett Johansson is easily likeable as the more innocent sister, Mary. Eric Bana, who plays King Henry Tudor, is a character that is both loved and hated throughout the movie. You are often left wondering how the King of England could get himself involved in such a complicated mess.
Our Grade:
B
In the movie, the Boleyn family is living at the king's court and is hoping to advance their family status by having one of their daughters win the affection of the King of England. In the beginning, it is Mary who catches the King's eye and ends up becoming his mistress and bearing him an illegitimate child. Although Mary's feelings for the King are genuine, her sister Anne who is fueled by jealousy and greed, seeks to win over the King despite her sisters' pleas. Despite the fact that Queen Katherine of Aragon is already in the picture and her sister Mary has produced a child from her affair with the King, Anne stops at nothing to get what she wants most: to become the Queen of England.
"The Other Boleyn Girl" keeps viewers intrigued as to what will happen next, even if you are not a history buff. But anyone who's read the book, be warned, the movie does stray a bit from the original plot, much like any adaptation.
Natalie Portman does a fantastic job playing vindictive sister Anne and Scarlett Johansson is easily likeable as the more innocent sister, Mary. Eric Bana, who plays King Henry Tudor, is a character that is both loved and hated throughout the movie. You are often left wondering how the King of England could get himself involved in such a complicated mess.
Our Grade:
B
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