The Other Boleyn Girl – One, Anne (Natalie Portman) finds herself exiled to France, the other, Mary (Scarlett Johansson) is pimped out by her daddy to King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) while their only brother (Jim Sturgess) is forced to marry some Lady in Waiting for the families namesake. And so is the tale of the Boleyn girls all in the name of royalty, peasants, blood lines, and religion where the only thing to come between the two sisters… is a kingdom. There’s more Soap Opera here then Luke and Laura could imagine. Johannson and Portman steal the show with outstanding and gripping performances, Bana is surprisingly cast and surprisingly great as the wicked King Henry VIII who rids himself of wives the way we take out the trash (and pretty much in the same fashion.) Despite some bad directing cuts from first timer Justin Chadwick, the only issue was one looming snarl in the plot. If the King can have his way with anyone and anything, how is it that Anne Boleyn managed to keep him at a distance, leaving him to pine for her for almost six years? Her denial of affections cost blood lines, rolled heads and shaped history, including the one daughter she would bear – Elizabeth, and you know where that’s headed. Yet despite all that, it’s not “off with your heads!” for this one. Instead it’s a solid 4 tiaras with jewels.
