The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  I have to say I feared the worst when sitting down to this film, 2 Americans and an Australian playing huge historical English characters sounded like an awful idea. It wasn't so bad though, in fact it was perfectly adequate. Nothing special mind, there was an awful lot of the… More
  I have to say I feared the worst when sitting down to this film, 2 Americans and an Australian playing huge historical English characters sounded like an awful idea. It wasn't so bad though, in fact it was perfectly adequate. Nothing special mind, there was an awful lot of the plot missing, and years skipped by in seconds but thanks to a capable cast and some nice direction (apart from the handful of 'behind a fence/through a curtain' wobbly camera shots) it was pleasantly not horrible.

• Cassie H

  
  Excellent period drama that tells a perfect and dead on story of Anne (Natalie Portman) & Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) as they both seduce King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) in this dramatic & tragic film masterpiece.

• Crash E

  
  Stylish and well directed, superb costumes and strong performances, the movie stand out to be truly enjoyable and highly dramatic.

• Ross C

  
  Awfully miscast - a slim, dark, handsome Eric Bana as Henry VIII? The Boleyn sisters weren't much better with their varying accents. And the costumes were so OTT. Some nice Tudor period sets, but there's not much to recommend this movie.

• Leigh R

  
  Wow! I never thought I could see Natalie Portman as so vicious and vindictive. She did an awesome job. Very twisted story, one I had never knew about before, but have become very intrigued to learn more. I liked it!

• Carlos M

  
  Natalie Portman is great as Anne Boleyn, in an intruiguing story that feels like a slow-paced soap-opera more concerned about melodrama than historical accuracy.

• Tom E

  
  I enjoyed the movie and the book -- I tend to like those period pieces -- They could've gotten someone better for Henry, but the 2 sisters were cast perfectly -- I thought the movie was pretty faithful to the booik, and I think it moved along well -- There could've been a… More
  I enjoyed the movie and the book -- I tend to like those period pieces -- They could've gotten someone better for Henry, but the 2 sisters were cast perfectly -- I thought the movie was pretty faithful to the booik, and I think it moved along well -- There could've been a better transition from being the young queen to the scaffolding, but I thought that the whole thing was a believable conjecture --

• Lewis C

  
  I'm relatively new to these English historical dramas, but I've seen enough to know a good one after I've watched it. The Other Boleyn Girl is pretty good, but it suffers from overly simplistic and two-dimensional characters. Everyone in the movie seems to possess… More
  I'm relatively new to these English historical dramas, but I've seen enough to know a good one after I've watched it. The Other Boleyn Girl is pretty good, but it suffers from overly simplistic and two-dimensional characters. Everyone in the movie seems to possess only one or two characteristics. King Henry is lustful and easily manipulated. Anne is ambitious and vengeful. Mary is sweet and loves her family to a fault. I don't know how true the movie is to actual history, but I doubt that these people were as emotionally shallow as they seemed here. Scarlett and and Natalie make a good on-screen pair, and both are easy on the eyes in their period clothing. My opinion of which was the more beautiful changed from scene to scene. Check this out if you enjoy either of the actresses or you like a period drama that's not necessarily epic, but is fairly interesting.

• Candy R

  
  Excellent cast and based on a true story about two sisters who are pawned by their family into the Kings' court to bed King Henry VIII and produce a heir to the throne. The King breaks with the Catholic church when his wife, the Queen cannot give him an heir, in order to marry… More
  Excellent cast and based on a true story about two sisters who are pawned by their family into the Kings' court to bed King Henry VIII and produce a heir to the throne. The King breaks with the Catholic church when his wife, the Queen cannot give him an heir, in order to marry Anne Boleyn. She gives him an heir, not a son but a daughter - Elizabeth who ruled for 45 years after Henry's death. I love the costumes and drama.

• Josh L

  
  Very similar in plot and tone to "The Duchess", but that movie was better performed and executed. This movie jumped around too much and lacked focus. It also wasn't very entertaining.

• Tim S

  
  What a drag to watch three good actors have to drudge their way through this shit. I cannot wait until Bana gets his due because all he is given here is to scowl for two hours. Natalie Portman is also a very naturalistic actress, but she is cornered into a soap opera role. The same… More
  What a drag to watch three good actors have to drudge their way through this shit. I cannot wait until Bana gets his due because all he is given here is to scowl for two hours. Natalie Portman is also a very naturalistic actress, but she is cornered into a soap opera role. The same goes for Johansson. It just seemed like it was one of those movies they made fun of on shows like Extras. The costumes were better than the lighting. I would have loved to see this story told by a better director with the same cast.

• Alexander W

  
  Pretty good. For adult only because it contains scenes unsuitable for kids. All the business about court, not an epic but a period like drama about Henry VIII s son and so on and so on.

• Cassandra M

  
  #37: The Other Boleyn Girl Heaving bosoms constrained by ravishing frocks are the order the day in this sumptuous period piece, a perfect diversion while you?re waiting for the next series of The Tudors. History doesn?t get much of a look in, but when you?ve got Natalie Portman,… More
  #37: The Other Boleyn Girl Heaving bosoms constrained by ravishing frocks are the order the day in this sumptuous period piece, a perfect diversion while you?re waiting for the next series of The Tudors. History doesn?t get much of a look in, but when you?ve got Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johanssen and Eric Bana all pouting their faces off, who cares? Best Bit: Anne Boleyn?s necklace, the one with the big silver letter ?B?. Chav-tastic!

• jay n

  
  Historical hogwash, so many inaccuracies that it becomes foolish after a while. If you want to see a much more factual, better acted film on the same subject seek out "Anne of the Thousand Days". However Kristin Scott-Thomas offers another fine performance in the smallish… More
  Historical hogwash, so many inaccuracies that it becomes foolish after a while. If you want to see a much more factual, better acted film on the same subject seek out "Anne of the Thousand Days". However Kristin Scott-Thomas offers another fine performance in the smallish role of the girls mother easily the best work in the film.

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]Fool's Gold - This may be the most boring film about treasure hunting I've seen in a long time. Clearly the filmmakers were intending to strike the comic/romance/adventure balance of [i]Romancing the Stone[/i], but boy does this flick flounder. It… More
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]Fool's Gold - This may be the most boring film about treasure hunting I've seen in a long time. Clearly the filmmakers were intending to strike the comic/romance/adventure balance of [i]Romancing the Stone[/i], but boy does this flick flounder. It progresses but it never builds any sense of momentum; [i]Fool's Gold[/i] works almost entirely in lateral moves so no scene feels any more important than the other. It's like the film succumbed to Matthew McConaughey's foggy, stoner spirit and decides to just shrug its shoulders through gunfights and explosions. The characters are grotesquely annoying and yet the supporting characters keep elbowing into what should be a combative romance between Kate Hudson and McConaughey. It's like the filmmakers thought exotic locations, sunny skies, and extremely tan lead actors would take care of the rest. Nothing in this movie ever crosses over into intentional comedy. The treasure angle is so contrived that it requires extensive sit-downs to just go over the convoluted exposition. [i]Fool's Gold[/i] is an empty-headed errand that takes far too long to go absolutely nowhere. For goodness sake, the movie has a puffy Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Theo from [i]The Cosby Show[/i]) as a dreadlocked Caribbean gangster. You tell me if you think that sounds like a good idea. Nate's Grade: C- Baby Mama - 2008 is becoming a year dominated by Tina Fey. She won three Emmys for her Best Comedy TV series [i]30 Rock[/i], including writing and acting, and her dead-on portrayal of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has branded the public perception of this political figure. [i]Baby Mama[/i] is a mildly entertaining comedy that works because of the finely honed chemistry between Fey and her former [i]Saturday Night Live[/i] co-star, Amy Poehler. The movie is at its best when these two women can play off one another. The banter isn't laugh-out-loud funny but provokes plenty of smiles and chuckles. The movie goes in an unforeseen direction in the third act that attempts to raise the stakes through drama, but it feels like a disappointing direction for what is essentially a female buddy comedy. The jokes flow at a steady pace and the movie has a great supporting cast of big names that know how to leave their mark, like Steve Martin as a daffy New Age CEO and Sigourney Weaver as a amazingly fertile boss. Nate's Grade: B The Other Boleyn Girl - The story of Henry the Eighth and his many wives is a tale full of romance, danger, betrayal, and sweeping historical changes; it's the most popular soap opera of its age. The 700-page book was naturally going to get slimmed down as a feature film, and [i]The Other Boleyn Girl[/i] feels a bit too streamlined for all the heavy historical events that take place. The production values are all top-notch and the story has some juicy moments. It presents an intriguing angle by showcasing the conniving rivalry between the Boleyn sisters (Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman). The acting falls under that period film gravity where the actors all speak stately and enunciate every syllable slowly, like they were testing out the sound for the first time. Portman is especially fun in a villainous role. Eric Bana is completely at odds with history as Henry VIII, but I suppose it would be harder for modern audiences to accept young nubile ladies vying for the affection of a huge, ugly man with a leg of mutton in his grip. Nate's Grade: B Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay - I was a big fan of the first outing to White Castle, a crude stoner comedy that also happened to be clever in its outrageousness. The [i]Harold and Kumar[/i] sequel returns the same writers but what the hell happened? The first film separated itself from its class of juvenile jokesters because it had charm and wit, but this mediocre movie just stumbles from one uninspired comedic setup to another. The boys get mistaken for terrorists and then the movie becomes a ramshackle road trip through America. The gags are lame and easily telegraphed. Regrettably, many jokes are reheated from the first film, like Kumar's fantasies involving an anthropomorphic living bag of weed. The presence of the hysterically gifted Neil Patrick Harris gives the film a boost but even NPH cannot save these less-than-stellar shenanigans. The comic set pieces don't add up together into something greater, and the only scene worth remembering is when the boys smoke weed with President Bush. You know you're in bad shape when even the gratuitous nudity feels tacky and boring. Nate's Grade: C Semi-Pro - Will Ferrell should just retire doing sports movies. Nate's Grade: C-[/color][/font]

• Chris G

  
  I just can't see Eric Bana as Henry the VIII. The Other Boleyn Girl is an interesting film in that it is really an examination of an entire families obsession with power. The film stars Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman as the Boleyn sisters (Mary and Anne). The main plot… More
  I just can't see Eric Bana as Henry the VIII. The Other Boleyn Girl is an interesting film in that it is really an examination of an entire families obsession with power. The film stars Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman as the Boleyn sisters (Mary and Anne). The main plot is how the family wants each sister to lure Henry away from his wife so as to get him his male heir and their hands on royal power. The sisters end up in a rivalry over the kings affections. What's amazing is how far the family is willing to let their daughters go to achieve their goal. Portman and Johansson give us good performances, but the supporting cast tends to over do it as they go through their motions. If the film could have been just the two leading ladies for two hours it would have been fine. It's just the background characters got in the way. Overall a barely above average drama that will be forgotten by everyone except fans of this kind of genre.

• Kylie B

  
  Love the novel. However, this is not the novel. Historical inaccuracies abound, as well as an almost tragic hacking of the novel's plot. However, this is still a reasonably entertaining film for me, mainly due to Portman's performance and the costumes - though there are two… More
  Love the novel. However, this is not the novel. Historical inaccuracies abound, as well as an almost tragic hacking of the novel's plot. However, this is still a reasonably entertaining film for me, mainly due to Portman's performance and the costumes - though there are two points that annoy me: 1 - the rape was not just inaccurate/not in the novel but I felt was also unnecessary. 2 - William Carey appears at the start, and after Mary becomes Henry's mistress, is never mentioned again. We are told that she marries again, but not informed about what happened to her first marriage. In life and in the novel he died, but this is not dealt with in the film and leaves a fairly gaping plot point. BBC 2003 version is a better adaptation, but this is better in terms of showmanship.

• Jani H

  
  Good actors in a "historical" drama. What's there not to like? I usually like 'em a lot but this one, a story of the Boleyn girls and their family, just gave me mixed feelings. I hated the fact that a 'mighty King' could be so easily misled by women.… More
  Good actors in a "historical" drama. What's there not to like? I usually like 'em a lot but this one, a story of the Boleyn girls and their family, just gave me mixed feelings. I hated the fact that a 'mighty King' could be so easily misled by women. And the result would be a separation between the country and the church which was at that time a big thing. Common, think with your head instead of your dick! Good acting, beautiful set decoration and average cinematography. The other Boleyn whore... I mean girl, is recommended to those who enjoy medieval drama.

• Stefanie C

  
  the female actresses gave strong performances, especially portman. for a period rampant with intrigue, the men were weak and quite unremarkable. slow at parts. 'queen margot' is what a like in a period piece.

• Jennifer X

  
  Surpassed my expectations extensively because I thought it was going to be typical melodrama fare. Throwing a bunch of beauties together in rich costumes can often come up short but in here efforts appealing to the pathos were definitely made, British accents aside (no, Natalie… More
  Surpassed my expectations extensively because I thought it was going to be typical melodrama fare. Throwing a bunch of beauties together in rich costumes can often come up short but in here efforts appealing to the pathos were definitely made, British accents aside (no, Natalie Portman, just no). But at the same time I could feel the actors straining for emotions, and nobody was capable of coming close to embodying their characters. Thus, the omnipresent emotional disconnect. The story maintains interest, but I just never got into it. Also, I like Natalie Portman with her hair up better.

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