The Other Boleyn Girl

Rating: 5/10 (24 December 2010)

I am pretty sure I saw the review for this film on Film 2008 with Jonathan Ross, I have seen a few films based on Henry VII, not many of them about his liaisons with other women besides the six that became wives, this film looking at that sounded interesting enough. Basically King Henry VII Tudor (Eric Bana) is having marital difficulties with his first wife Katherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent) because she failed to give him his male heir to the throne, so the Boleyn family are summoned to his court. They are father/husband Sir Thomas (Mark Rylance), mother/wife Lady Elizabeth (Kristin Scott Thomas), their son George (Jim Sturgess), and of course their two beautiful daughters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and (the sister I'd never heard of before) Mary (Scarlett Johansson). The original plan was for the beautiful Anne to become Henry's mistress eventually leading to a marriage and of course her pregnancy, however the King is more interested in the innocent sister and as beautiful Mary. She agrees to his courting, despite the fact that she is engaged to also innocent William Carey (Benedict Cumberbatch), who obviously grows increasingly jealous. Sir Thomas, along with Lady Elizabeth's brother The Duke of Norfolk (Cape Wrath's David Morrissey) are doing whatever they can, even with Lady Elizabeth's dismay, to secure a place royal position for the Boleyn's, and keep the King happy. Mary does indeed fall pregnant at the hands of Henry, however his interest in her dwells and his eyes are drawn to originally planned partner Anne, which of course leads to a new passion. Mary does have the baby boy he always wanted, but because Henry didn't marry her it is essentially a bastard child and useless to a kingdom that can't use an unofficial heir. Henry decides to get married to Anne instead, who does get pregnant with his child, but he is disappointed to learn that it is a girl at birth. They try for another child and she gets pregnant again, but she is devastated to have a miscarriage, which of course causes Henry to fall out with her. The sisters really rival for his affections, but the arguments all come to a head when Anne is arrested for suspected treason to the kingdom, and possibly practising witchcraft, and Mary begs with Henry for him to spare her. So it comes to the day of execution, George is also beheaded on the day, and Mary hopes that Henry has a letter for her saying that Anne will be spared however, the execution goes ahead, and in the end we see the King with new wife-to-be Jane Seymour (Corinne Galloway), and little Elizabeth who grew to be queen for over forty years. Also starring Eddie Redmayne as William Stafford and Juno Temple as Jane Parker. I have say first that Johansson is normally one of the most gorgeous stars on screen, and her she is a little less glamorous compared to Portman, but they both do well sporting English accents, an improvement from Star Wars for Portman, and Bana is quite good as the King too. The story is patchy in places, and you really wonder about historic accuracy at times, despite the fact that it is based on a novel, but it isn't such a bad historical romantic drama. Scarlett Johansson was number 10 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols. Okay!