Cast and costumes better than the script

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 2010)

The things that a man will do for love (or at least sex or a male heir) - even if he is one of the most powerful monarchs of medieval Europe. We all know that England's King Henry VIII divorced Katherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn and, in so doing, took his nation out of the Church of Rome.
What this movie purports to do - based on the hugely successful novel by Philippa Gregory - is tell us about the rival affections of Anne's younger sister Mary who, following an affair with the king, gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth. Although all the leading characters are actual historic figures, the film - like the book - is a work of fiction, so separating the real from the reel is a tricky task.
The three central characters - all quintessential members of the English nobility - are in fact played by non-British actors who nevertheless affect convincing English accents: Eric Bana as the king and Natalie Portman as the famous Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson as the other Boleyn. Some of the support roles are particularly well-played by the likes of Kristin Scott Thomas and Ana Torrent. This stellar cast - plus wonderful costumes and a slew of splendid English locations - makes this an immensely watchable film in which, in spite of the title, Portman has the meatiest role. If only some more effort and skill had gone into the script.
Footnote: I have a lifelong love of the cinema and, throughout the nearly 50 years that I've kept a daily diary, I've recorded all the films that I've seen at the cinema, on television and on VCR or DVD and maintained a card index system to note when I've seen (or re-seen) each film. Quite accidentally, "The Other Boleyn Girl" was my 2,000th film.