The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Justin Chadwick

Writers:

Peter Morgan (screenplay)
Philippa Gregory (novel)

Release Date:

29 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

The only thing that could come between these sisters... is a kingdom.

Plot:

Two sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.

Plot Keywords:

King | King Henry VIII | Ambition | Betrayal | Intrigue

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Natalie Portman	...	Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson	...	Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana	...	Henry Tudor
Jim Sturgess	...	George Boleyn
Mark Rylance	...	Sir Thomas Boleyn
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Lady Elizabeth Boleyn
David Morrissey	...	The Duke of Norfolk
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	William Carey
Oliver Coleman	...	Henry Percy
Ana Torrent	...	Katherine of Aragon
Eddie Redmayne	...	William Stafford
Tom Cox	...	Rider
Michael Smiley	...	Physician
Montserrat Roig de Puig	...	Lady in Waiting
Juno Temple	...	Jane Parker

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43291) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-7 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:PG-12 | UK:12A | France:U | Argentina:16 | Malaysia:U | Sweden:7 | Peru:14 | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

Initially, the movie characterizes Mary as innocent and morally upright. She had spent time in France, and was reputed to have had several affairs. One reason Henry only wanted Mary as a mistress was because he considered her a whore.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Written at the very end of the credits is the message: "This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and locations portrayed and the names herein are fictitious, and any similarity to or identification with the location, name, character or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional." However the novel and film are based on the true stories of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII with real people, historical events and locations that are also factual.

Quotes:

Katherine of Aragon: [to the king] I know you, you have decided, but it grieves you. Will you destroy your marriage, your country, your soul before God, on the whim of one girl? Because she denies you? Because she tortures you with her refusal? She think she doesn't know exactly what she's doing? She wants me to step aside. Where is my wise husband? Where is he? You are a king, so be one.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Ellen Page/Wilco (#33.6)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Wedding Sarabande

A Film Worth Seeing for the Issues of Gender

The Other Boleyn Girl is a compelling film due to the exceptional performances and the splendid costumes. Additionally, there is simply a terrific story told about the relationship of Henry VIII and the two Boleyn sisters, Anne and Mary.

Natalie Portman (Anne) and Scarlett Johansson (Mary) are outstanding as characters engaged in both sibling rivalry and sisterly bonding. In the central relationship of the sisters, the film develops the social roles and imposed limitations on women in Tudor England.

One of the film's most moving character portrayals is the mother of the two Boleyn Sisters. In the heartbreaking performance of Kristin Scott Thomas, Elizabeth Boleyn can only watch helplessly as her daughters become pawns of the greedy men (Thomas Boleyn and the Duke of Norfolk), who use the young women much like pimps in order to line their pockets and further their own advancement at court. Another sterling aspect of the film is the portrayal of Katherine of Aragon (Ana Torent), another victim of the men due to the obsessive pursuit of Henry VIII to beget a male heir, leading to his momentous divorce from Katherine and England's break with the church of Rome.

While commentators may point out the omissions of many of the details from the novel by Philippa Gregory, the film is still true to the spirit of the book. It is also a faithful representation of the role of women in Tudor age. The film effectively presents the gender issues from the perspective of many of the remarkable women of the age along with the reminder of the greatest legacy of Anne Boleyn, which was the indirect result of her relationship of Henry VIII. That legacy was the future ruler of England...and also a woman: Elizabeth I.