PREMIERE'S REVIEW (posted 2/28/08)

Historical accuracy takes a back seat to carnal impulses and sexual intrigue in Justin Chadwick’s The Other Boleyn Girl, a lavishly produced bodice-ripper set in the 16th century court of King Henry VIII that plays out like an episode of Masterpiece Theater geared towards the MySpace generation.

Closer in spirit to Dangerous Liaisons than Anne of the Thousand Days, Chadwick’s drama tells of the two Boleyn sisters, Anne and Mary (Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson), their tumultuous relationship with hunky King Henry Tudor (Eric Bana), and the course of British history as a whole. Simple country girls by birth, the two become pawns in the political machinations of their scheming father Sir Thomas Boleyn (Rylance) and their villainous uncle, the Duke of Norfolk (a wonderfully sinister David Morrissey), who are determined to elevate the family name. When the Queen, Katherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent), is unable to produce a male heir, news spreads that the King will be seeking untapped fertile ground in which to plant his seed; an ideal opportunity for Sir Thomas to engage in a bit of “pimp my daughters.”

When plans to pair the randy monarch with headstrong elder daughter Anne go awry, Mary quickly becomes the surrogate object of desire, and both father and uncle are more than willing to offer her up, even though she’s a newlywed. The King’s newfound affection for Mary leaves Anne royally envious, and she soon sets in motion a calculated plan to replace Mary in the bedroom, and Queen Katherine on the throne. Naturally there are roadblocks to success, and she’ll have to endure rape, flirtations with incest, and England’s complete separation from Catholicism and Rome…all while trying to keep her head on her shoulders.

Watching The Other Boleyn Girl leaves one with the impression that all policy under Henry’s reign was dictated by his crotch, and that, concomitantly, the formation of the Church of England was simply a ploy to enable him to get laid. While this makes for gripping drama, it reduces these historical figures to what you’d expect to find in a pulp romance novel. Screenwriter Peter Morgan, who made a name for himself by creating brilliant psychological portraits of influential rulers (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland) is here perhaps limited by Philippa Gregory’s novel on which the film is based, for there’s little trace of the character nuance found in his other scripts.

While it was a smart move to cast two of Hollywood’s most desirable young starlets in the lead roles, Ms. Johansson’s struggle to keep pace with her co-star is painfully evident, and her performance is as pale as her alabaster skin. As the viper-like Anne, Natalie Portman makes a noble and at times impressive effort at playing the queen bee, but ultimately lacks the presence required to pull off such a domineering role. Utterly wasted is the tremendously talented Eric Bana, who spends the entire film either scowling or screwing—reminding us, in the latter instance,  that it’s good to be the king.

With its orgy of colorful costumes and golden rays of sunlight streaming in from every window, The Other Boleyn Girl is two-hours of trashy eye-candy that, while fast and loose with the truth, functions as a perfectly adequate divertissement in a time of year when studios tend to unleash their worst.

—Andrew Grant