The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
Country: US/GB
Technical: DeLuxe 115m
Director: Justin Chadwick
Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morissey, Ana Torrent
Synopsis:
Persuaded by his wife's brother to further his family's fortunes, Sir Thomas Boleyn dangles his daughters under the nose of the disenchanted King Henry, who fathers a child with each, but the ambition of the elder daughter is their undoing.
Review:
Interestingly operatic take on familiar events, yielding little-known detail as befitting its ambiguous title. The performances are good, and the production values first rate, but as with most historical films it is only as transcendent as its characters, and these are just not engaging enough. Thus one is given up to the narrative, which resolves itself into a series of short to middling scenes of the 'I bear grievous news from court' variety. One is left with an overpowering sense of the vanity of it all, but then the film pins its colours to the mast with an epilogue that brands it an 'Elizabeth prequel' at heart.
Country: US/GB
Technical: DeLuxe 115m
Director: Justin Chadwick
Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morissey, Ana Torrent
Synopsis:
Persuaded by his wife's brother to further his family's fortunes, Sir Thomas Boleyn dangles his daughters under the nose of the disenchanted King Henry, who fathers a child with each, but the ambition of the elder daughter is their undoing.
Review:
Interestingly operatic take on familiar events, yielding little-known detail as befitting its ambiguous title. The performances are good, and the production values first rate, but as with most historical films it is only as transcendent as its characters, and these are just not engaging enough. Thus one is given up to the narrative, which resolves itself into a series of short to middling scenes of the 'I bear grievous news from court' variety. One is left with an overpowering sense of the vanity of it all, but then the film pins its colours to the mast with an epilogue that brands it an 'Elizabeth prequel' at heart.
Country: US/GB
Technical: DeLuxe 115m
Director: Justin Chadwick
Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morissey, Ana Torrent
Synopsis:
Persuaded by his wife's brother to further his family's fortunes, Sir Thomas Boleyn dangles his daughters under the nose of the disenchanted King Henry, who fathers a child with each, but the ambition of the elder daughter is their undoing.
Review:
Interestingly operatic take on familiar events, yielding little-known detail as befitting its ambiguous title. The performances are good, and the production values first rate, but as with most historical films it is only as transcendent as its characters, and these are just not engaging enough. Thus one is given up to the narrative, which resolves itself into a series of short to middling scenes of the 'I bear grievous news from court' variety. One is left with an overpowering sense of the vanity of it all, but then the film pins its colours to the mast with an epilogue that brands it an 'Elizabeth prequel' at heart.