‘Other Boleyn Girl’ Delivers Less Than Impressive Performance
Both Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson posses beauty and grace that make them a natural fit for the new historical drama – ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ – which will come to theatres starting tomorrow. Natalie Portman plays the part of Anne Boleyn who is destined to be the second wife of the famous King Henry VIII (played by Eric Bana). She runs into competition for his majesty’s affection when he is drawn to her sister – Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson).
While the gorgeous cast is framed by lush cinematography and incredibly detailed set decoration – the actors themselves fail to impress us in what could have been a great movie. The movie will recount every plot point several times, with exposition delivered like bricks through a window. What’s more baffling is that several key moments—like Anne’s disastrous first “date” with Henry—take place offscreen. Other characters just wander away, never to be seen again.
The talented cast is largely wasted. Bana does a lot of striding angrily from one room to another, while Johansson spends most of the movie in bed (and not in a fun way). Portman is the only one who manages to inject a little life into her character, but the movie can’t decide whether Anne is a villain or a victim. All in all the movie is just another movie that will soon be forgotten.