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The presence of Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman could not save “The Other Boleyn Girl,” directed by Justin Chadwick, from its boring and squished story line.
The all-star cast faltered in the movie that is based, if “based” means “not being anything like it,” on the novel by Philippa Gregory, which is a dramatic page-turner of a story that is engaging and original.
The movie follows the Boleyn sisters, Anne and Mary, as they rival for the attention and favoritism of the famed King Henry VIII, played by the talented Eric Bana, who is married to Queen Catherine. Anne wins, becomes queen and is later beheaded on false charges of incest with her brother.
The movie ends awkwardly – although some of the audience members in the theater didn’t see it because they left early – on a cheesy close up of the future Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Among the many flaws in the story line is the odd disappearance of Mary’s first husband. In the novel he dies, but the movie just removes him. Equally as questionable is the very awkward almost-sex scene between Anne and her brother, George. It was just too icky.
Portman failed at playing the tragically evil and headstrong Anne. She hardly appears to possess the seductive power to reel a king from a royal marriage and break up the church. She seemed to be trying too hard at playing the ambitious character and it did not fit.
Johannson did well as Mary, who was sweet and less royally ambitious than her sister and brother, although the movie did not allow her to develop the character into the courageous Mary created in the book.
In a film where the most exciting part was the “Sex and the City” trailer that preceded the film, there was too much child birthing, not enough passion and character development.
In their defense, the writers did have the daunting task of taking a story everyone knows and making it fresh. The novel achieved it though, and sadly the film did not follow in its footsteps.
Carolyn Cypret can be reached at [email protected].
