The Other Boleyn GirlA neutered affair  February 27,
2008 12:57:46 PM
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL: Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson are held captive and kept
clothed.
|
Justin Chadwick’s adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s sprawling bestseller about sibling rivals vying to provide Henry the VIII with a male heir hits all the hallmarks of the epic period piece: scheming nobles; pitch-perfect costuming; plenty of crane shots of aristocrats riding furiously on horseback. But what was in real life a sordid tale of sexual intrigue becomes a neutered affair. The title Boleyn is Mary (Scarlett Johansson), the uncomplicated younger sister to English history’s most infamous adulteress, the conniving Anne (Natalie Portman). And though both lead actresses give admirable performances, they’re held captive (and kept clothed) by Peter Morgan’s flat script. Eric Bana as the Tudor king comes off as hollow (especially in light of Showtime’s current The Tudors); Kristin Scott Thomas provides some bright moments as Lady Elizabeth Boleyn, the strong but ultimately powerless family matron. 114 minutes | Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Circle/Chestnut Hill + suburbs
|
 |
|
- Reconciling the irreconcilable
- Massachusetts lawmakers are pushing to criminalize Salvia. Is this a test-run for marijuana-law reform?
- Some Things at Trinity
- College gossip blogs exposed
- Never mind its tough-girl alt-porn feminism: SuicideGirls has already moved on to a new generation
- In honor of National Boss Day, thePhoenix.com presents the ultimate kingpins
- Daniel McCusker’s ‘tHisTHat’
- How did Deval Patrick's greatest strength become a dangerous weakness?
- The democratic race is getting messy, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to recruit Al Gore
- 50 years after the Boston Braves' departure, it’s worth asking: did the wrong team leave town?
- Artful lodger comes to MIT
- Nightlife
|
- Errol Morris checks the apples, not the tree, in Standard Operating Procedure
- Overplotted pregnancy flick
- Marianne Faithful dispenses handjobs in this unrealistic romance
- Too much melodrama
- Unimaginative erotic thriller
- Totally toothless
- Self-reflection and parody
- Total cheese for the CW set
- Brotherly amore
- Exploiting high school shootings
|
|
|
|