Other Boleyn Girl, The

50

Columbia Pictures (Sony) (115 minutes)
and Justin Chadwick
Natalie Portman , Scarlett Johansson , Eric Bana , Kristin Scott Thomas , Mark Rylance , and David Morrissey

Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images

Summary: Based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family's power and status by courting the affections of the King of England. Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life. What began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the king. Initially, Mary wins King Henry's favor and becomes his mistress, bearing him an illegitimate child. But Anne--clever, conniving, and fearless--edges aside both her sister and Henry's wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon, in her relentless pursuit of the king. Despite Mary's genuine feelings for Henry, her sister Anne has her sights set on the ultimate prize: Anne will not stop until she is Queen of England. As the Boleyn girls battle for the love of a king--one driven by ambition, the other by true affection--England is torn apart. Despite the dramatic consequences, the Boleyn girls ultimately find strength and loyalty in each other, remaining forever connected by their bond as sisters. (Columbia)

William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
(83) An absorbing, exciting costume drama that works as a historical romance, a family tragedy and a showcase for its young stars.

James Berardinelli
ReelViews:
(75) The result is an entertainingly sudsy trip through early 16th century English history.

Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly:
(75) A classy romantic cocktail distinguished by its tart yet breezy bite.

Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle:
(75) An enjoyable movie with an entertaining angle on a hard-to-resist period of history.

Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor:
(75) A richly appointed period piece, it features kingly tantrums, mistresses, bodices, roaring fireplaces, incest, and mutton. It also features sharply enunciated, period-perfect dialogue in which nary a contraction can be heard.

Chuck Wilson
LA Weekly:
(70) Stuck for years playing young women who are the idealized object of male desire (Portman and Johansson)-- flaw-free and, in Johansson's case, barely conscious -- they come alive in The Other Boleyn Girl, as if being bound up in costumer Sandy Powell's exquisite gowns has freed them from the tighter constraints of their own beauty.

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