5 months ago 03rd Jul 11:08
Justin Chadwick, who is best know for his television work Bleak House, hasn't recreated the standard that we saw in the BBC adaptation with this rather dull account of history that isn't at all original.
The story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn has been told on the big and small screen so many times that there's no longer anything in the way of a surprise for the character of Anne, like Titanic the ship was always going to sink, she is going to meet her demise.
However the introduction of Mary, the Boleyn sister we know little about, is an interesting twist that has been added and Chadwick had the opportunity to portray a fascinating depiction of a very troubled relationship between the two sisters.
However he failed to produce anything more than a sisterly cat fight that wouldn't look out of place in Eastenders.
While the film looks good, lavish costumes, shot on location around the UK, the high production values and big names cannot hide that fact that there is little drama in this 114 minute movie that begins to drag from about half way.
While Bana, Portman and Johansson do well there is little character development, for Bana in particular who remains a man who sees women as meaningless pursuits and conquests throughout the whole of the picture.
The character of Mary was always going to be tricky given the fact that very little is known about her but Johansson doesn't convince, I have never really understood the hype about her anyway.
In all The Boleyn Girl is a disappointment a very good cast goes to waste, in particular Kristen Scott Thomas.
And the love triangle at the height of Henry's power that caused him to split from the catholic church, causing decades of religious unrest, has been degraded to a soap opera.
The Other Boleyn Girl is out on DVD now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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