The Other Boleyn Girl

Name: The Other Boleyn Girl
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Released: February 29, 2008
Duration: 115 min
Rating: 50
Cast: Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson

2008

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 90 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 90 Ratings

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The Other Boleyn Girl

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: February 29, 2008 | PG-13

Starring: Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson

Summary: Based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family's power and status by courting theBased on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family's power and status by courting the affections of the King of England. Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life. What began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the king. Initially, Mary wins King Henry's favor and becomes his mistress, bearing him an illegitimate child. But Anne--clever, conniving, and fearless--edges aside both her sister and Henry's wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon, in her relentless pursuit of the king. Despite Mary's genuine feelings for Henry, her sister Anne has her sights set on the ultimate prize: Anne will not stop until she is Queen of England. As the Boleyn girls battle for the love of a king--one driven by ambition, the other by true affection--England is torn apart. Despite the dramatic consequences, the Boleyn girls ultimately find strength and loyalty in each other, remaining forever connected by their bond as sisters. (Columbia)… Expand

Director: Justin Chadwick

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 115 min

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Critic Reviews

William Arnold

An absorbing, exciting costume drama that works as a historical romance, a family tragedy and a showcase for its young stars. Read full review

Peter Rainer

A richly appointed period piece, it features kingly tantrums, mistresses, bodices, roaring fireplaces, incest, and mutton. It also features sharply enunciated, period-perfect dialogue in which nary a contraction can be heard. Read full review

Tasha Robinson

The film looks terrific, all Vermeer-style light/dark interplay and sleek design. And Portman is fantastic as the tempestuous Anne. Read full review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

It's neither sexy enough to qualify as good trash nor serious enough to pass for history. Read full review

David Edelstein

A brisk feminist melodrama that is, historically speaking, a load of wank. It has the feel of a game of “telephone,” in which information is progressively mangled. Read full review

Michael Sragow

This rendering of the turbulent second marriage of England's King Henry VIII proves too heavy-footed for the old movie two-step of setting up a morality tale, then exploiting it for heat and titillation. Read full review

Matthew Sorrento

The falling blade is the only element not missing the mark in this film. I wanted to call for the beheading after Act One, and spare the audience instead. Read full review

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User Reviews

americanraven

Jun 29, 2019

The Other Boleyn Girl is a suspenseful drama that presents a refreshing examination of its complex characters and their human intricacies. Don't watch it for the history, as it doesn't stick 100% to the story, but once you do your research, come back for the characters themselves.

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EkaterinafromRussia

Mar 22, 2008

I really liked the film...it's unforgettable and it makes you think - so many time has passed, but actually not so many habits changed.

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SvettyY.

Mar 1, 2008

One of the most interesting movies I've seen this year. Natalie Portman demonstrates her talent in this movie.

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ChadS.

Mar 1, 2008

Mary Boelyn(Scarlett Johansson) is the other Boelyn girl; as in the other Boelyn girl deserves to...not Anne(Natalie Portman). The ornamental "B" that Anne wears stands for her namesake, obviously; or "bitch", because she schemes with belligerence, but on an intertextual level, Anne's Mary Boelyn(Scarlett Johansson) is the other Boelyn girl; as in the other Boelyn girl deserves to...not Anne(Natalie Portman). The ornamental "B" that Anne wears stands for her namesake, obviously; or "bitch", because she schemes with belligerence, but on an intertextual level, Anne's alphabetical bling-bling makes reference to the "A" that Hester Prynne is burdened with in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlett Letter". In the final scene, when the "B" reappears after its retirement during Anne's reign as queen, we realize that Mary's indiscretion is the greater offense. Anne might be a "whore"(Katherine of Aragon said it; not me), but Mary is Hester Prynne. Don't let Mary's woe-is-me countenance fool you; in her own passive-aggressive manner, she matches her sister blow-for-blow, every step of the way, as both sisters try to bed King "I'm-too-sexy-for-this-court" Henry(Eric Bana plays the randy Tudor like he's Hugh Hefner with a sceptre). Both sisters learn too late, to their misfortune, that the court of England is a man's world. Since "The Other Boelyn Girl" presents a larger-than-life set of circumstances and payoffs, they should've let Johansson have some overheated fun, too, and allowed her to go vis-a-vis with Anne more honestly. I think Mary is coy. Her simple way is a country girl act. Substitute Mary's tears with a smile the last time she sees Anne would've made "The Other Boelyn Girl" a guilty pleasure.… Expand

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Halfwelshman

Jan 12, 2012

The Other Boleyn girl is a real mixed bag of a film when looking at just about every facet of its creation. It's got loads of talent behind it - director Justin Chadwick has experience with period dramas from working on Bleak House, Peter Morgan has written some great screenplays in the pastThe Other Boleyn girl is a real mixed bag of a film when looking at just about every facet of its creation. It's got loads of talent behind it - director Justin Chadwick has experience with period dramas from working on Bleak House, Peter Morgan has written some great screenplays in the past for The Queen, Frost/Nixon and The Damned United, and Sandy Powell has proven her talent as a costume designer for Shakespeare in Love and Gangs of New York. The three leads Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana certainly look and sound the part as Anne and Mary Boleyn and Henry VIII respectively (and it's nice to see Portman maintaining her accent throughout the film, as she was unable to do in V for Vendetta). The real star of the show (as she should be, being the beating heart of the story) is Scarlett Johansson, who imbues Mary with genuine emotion, and understandable motivations - she just wants to be left alone to a lead a quiet life, and you really feel for her as she is used and abused by the king, court and her own family. Eric Bana's take on a young, virile Henry VIII is entertaining, as is Kristin Scott Thomas who plays Ma Boleyn as a bodice-burning feminist. Disappointingly, the main weak link in the cast is Natalie Portman. Her performance isn't bad as such, but as a character, Anne remains as an enigma for the whole film - we never understand her, or why she does what she does, and consequently she just comes across like an evil step-sister. The film has some good dramatic moments, and the authentic-looking costumes and locations are shot beautifully. That said, the majority of the film feels a little disconnected - some scenes don't appear to lead on from the previous ones, and huge amounts of time pass by in the blink of an eye for little or no explanation. One moment Anne has been banished to the French court, and the next scene she's back, and her character hasn't developed in any noticeable way. It has glimmers of brilliance, but The Other Boleyn girl just isn't consistent enough to be a noteworthy piece of film entertainment. It was a stroke of genius to cast two of the most beautiful and charismatic actresses in the world as one of the most infamous and powerful pairs of sisters in English history, and Scarlett Johansson gives a great performance, but Natalie Portman disappoints, and the film as a whole doesn't quite deliver as a historical drama, or even as a semi-historical romp. It's just a bit dull at times, and I think I'd take Showtime's high-camp series The Tudors over The Other Boleyn Girl any day, simply because it's a lot more fun.… Expand

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MartinF.

Mar 1, 2008

Poor casting, unbearably muted photography and terrible script make for a ploddingly dull time at the movies. Scarlett Johanssen is miscast as Mary a role which fails to allow her a chance at expressing her full range.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Fantasy

Mar 1, 2008

Off with its head! Avoid.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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