costumed soap opera

Rating: 6/10 (12 October 2016)

Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) is the older sister embodying the hopes of her family. Mary (Scarlett Johansson) is the other sister and her good heart is not seen as being useful. With no male heir, King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) is frustrated with his marriage to Catherine of Aragon after a stillborn male baby. The Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey) sees a way to introduce his niece as a mistress to the king. Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance) and Norfolk's sister Lady Elizabeth Boleyn (Kristin Scott Thomas) offer the more outgoing unmarried Anne. Instead, the king is taken with the shy Mary who recently married William Carey (Benedict Cumberbatch) hoping for a quiet life. Mary is ordered to be the king's mistress and one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting. The family joins her in court as they gain in prestige. Anne secretly marries nobleman Henry Percy and tells her brother George (Jim Sturgess). George tells Mary who then tells her parents fearing a scandal over Percy who is engaged to another arranged by the king. Anne is exiled to the French court. She would return to take the king from Mary. She would give birth to future queen Elizabeth. Mary is widowed and remarries William Stafford (Eddie Redmayne). Ambitious courtesan Jane Parker (Juno Temple) marries George and would cause a great royal scandal.
Anne seems to be written as the flamboyant sister while Mary is the shy one. Portman is older than Johansson and that does fit the Boleyn sisters. However, I think Johansson and Portman are more fit in personality to switch their roles. It's pushing through a lot of plot and the material may be better for a TV series. The actors are capable and the story is fascinating. The execution is a little flat but still very watchable as a vast costume soap opera.