By Ryan Parsons | Images property of Columbia Pictures.
The Other Boleyn Girl
I have been a fan of the story of The Other Boleyn Girl ever since Showtime began airing The Tutors. With that I had high hopes for the upcoming historic scandal starring Eric Bana, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. While everything looks in place, the first reviews to arrive from the film aren't as excited about the thought of two sisters, one guy.
The Other Boleyn Girl Reviews
The first reviews come in mixed for The Other Boleyn Girl. While one applauds the film, the other gets distracted by all the scandalousness.
Variety
Playing less fast and loose with history than Philippa Gregory’s novel, “The Other Boleyn Girl” is a sexy, good-looking political bodice-ripper with an almost flawless cast at the top of its game. With a straight-arrow script by Peter Morgan (“The Queen”) and smooth direction by Brit TV helmer Justin Chadwick (“Bleak House”), pic has the feel of an Old Hollywood studio costumer freshened up with contempo technique and acting styles. Tip-top cast, led by Eric Bana and Scarlett Johansson as Henry VIII and Mary Boleyn, could make this score beyond upscale auds with aggressive promotion and good reviews.
The Hollywood Reporter
Shot in high definition and filmed at many historic locations, the film somehow still lacks the splendor of an epic, and its urgency to get on with the next plot point leaves much unexplained while context goes out the window. Good performances by the female leads and all the appurtenances and costumes of the time might attract fans of period movies, but there's not enough flash and fire to grab the attention of a wider audience.
His script lacks punch, however. Portman and Johansson are more than equal to the demands, but with a tougher-minded script they might have soared. Portman comes to grips with the sharpest lines, but she could have done so much more. Johansson's character grows the most in the film and once again the star dazzles with her versatility.
Read the full reviews for The Other Boleyn Girl by clicking the bold links above.
The Other Boleyn Girl opens to theaters on February 29th.
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