What Do The Critics Say?

"Cinematography, costumes and production design are all tops, and although at times it may feel like a melodrama, there is enough rope to pull us along and we are immersed into the era. The Other Boleyn Girl is a cinematically told, sumptuous historic drama that hones on the little known story of the sisterly rivalry between the ill-fated Anne Boleyn and her younger sister Mary. So enjoyable are Portman and Johansson's feisty performances, we can forgive the inconsistencies of their English accents." Louise Keller URBANCINEFILE "The screenplay by Peter Morgan is based on the 2002 novel by Philippa Gregory. By writing a novel, Gregory ponders a few points that have gone unrecorded by historical fact. Her reason, nicely revealed by Morgan, why incest was one of the charges against Anne, is understandable. I'm not a fan of Portman, but as Anne Boleyn she shows the ruthlessness and jealousy that must have eaten at Anne. Johansson has the more difficult role; that of innocent sister in the whirl of intrigue and treachery." Victoria Alexander FILMINREVIEW "Portman and Johansson are phenomenal alone and together, and each looks more delectable than the other in 16th-century silks and satins, atwinkle with glittering gems -- Anne's pioneering "B" pendant, dripping with oversized pearls, is an especially witty touch. It's a terrific showcase for battling Boleyn babes Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman." Maitland McDonagh TV GUIDES MOVIE GUIDE "this in an enjoyable movie with an entertaining angle on a hard-to-resist period of history." Mick LaSalle SAN FRANSISCO CHRONICLE "The movie makes history downright thrilling, and it may very well prompt viewers to pick up a book and learn more. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, and thanks to a smart screenplay and clever casting, it works. Whew. The Other Boleyn Girl is a lavish production with riveting performances from a very impressive cast." Liz Braun SUN MEDIA

"This streamlined adaptation of Philippa Gregory's fanciful historical novel is fine fun, enlivened by Peter Morgan's ("The Queen") engaging script, Portman's scenery chewing and a soulful turn from Scarlett Johansson in the title role. "The Other Boleyn Girl" might play around with sexual politics, but at its heart, it's about a bond that cannot be broken; not even by the blade of a sword." Glenn Whipp LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS "With its beautiful young cast, this adaptation of Philippa Gregory's best-selling potboiler is delicious fun. Portman and Johansson are utterly believable as siblings and compliment each other perfectly. It’s the performances and unlikely chemistry of the Misses Portman and Johansson that is the real standout in The Other Boleyn Girl, and does not disappoint." Diva Velez MIGHTYGANESHA "Not much of a visual epic maybe, but an absorbing, exciting costume drama that works as a historical romance, a family tragedy and a showcase for its young stars. " William Arnold SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER "Beneath the thundering horse hoofs and happy wedding fiddles is a viper's nest of sexual intrigue that would be at home on Desperate Housewives." Jan Stuart NEWSDAY "Natalie Portman delivers perhaps her best performance to date, rich and layered, complex with all the qualities that make us humans so damned irritating yet likeable. She is manipulative and loving with her sister, she is extremely ambitious and yet remorseful - although she does have very good reason to be. Her head." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE

The Inside Story In her bestselling novel "The Other Boleyn Girl", Philippa Gregory spins a new take on a very old story: the ill-fated romance between King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. With a twin focus on Henry’s relationship with Anne as well as his illicit affair with Anne’s sister, Mary, Gregory’s novel portrays the court of the Tudors as a home for sex, intrigue, and power games. "I think before I wrote the novel, hardly anyone knew about Mary Boleyn," Gregory says. "She was a character hidden from history, maybe because historians weren’t interested in her, because she made no difference to the historical record. But I saw her story as a contrast between sisters, and that contrast was fertile ground. It becomes a parable for the way women make use of their opportunities." For director Justin Chadwick, the central relationship in "The Other Boleyn Girl" is not necessarily the famous one between Henry and Anne but the one between Anne and her sister, Mary, who vied with her for the king’s attention. "Anne and Mary do some terrible things to each other, there’s rivalry and jealousy between them, but ultimately, they’re sisters," he says. "You have a relationship with your sister that’s different from any other person. You have conversations behind closed doors, talking to her in a completely different way. You can be completely open and honest with her. Like Mary says, it’s like being two halves of the same person." 1999 BAFTA Award winning Producer Alison Owen ("Elizabeth") says the storyline "is like a mafia story in the court of the Tudors. It’s got sex, rivalry, jealousy, ambition, scandal, with sisters at the heart of the story." Chadwick found his Boleyn sisters in two award-winning actresses, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. "They brought something to the roles, some sibling intimacy, some closeness, that meant we could take scenes further than the written page," he notes. "During the course of the film, the sisters’ relationship changes, but they remain tied together as sisters. Natalie and Scarlett portray that beautifully." Three time BAFTA Award ® winning screenwriter Peter Morgan, who was nominated for an Academy Award ® for his screenplay for "The Queen", was eager to adapt Philippa Gregory’s novel for the screen. "Though I’d already tackled Henry (for an award-winning television drama starring Ray Winstone), I became hooked when I realized that this was a story from a completely different perspective," he said. "It’s written with such energy and gusto and the two sisters are such fantastic polar opposites." To bring the motion picture to life, Chadwick called upon a team of specialists, including Emmy winning production designer John-Paul Kelly ("The Lost Prince") and two-time Oscar ® winning costume designer Sandy Powell ("Shakespeare In Love" & "The Aviator"). The film also employed an etiquette advisor, Noel Butler, to give special insight into the customs and mores of the royal court. And, the film was shot in high definition. Chadwick explained, "In a close-up you feel you can reach in and touch the actor; you can see into the actor’s eyes. It’s not the obvious thing for a period movie, but I wanted to capture performances, not do wide shots of the beautiful locations we were using." "Shooting in HD gave us a lot of options," says Kristin Scott Thomas. "We could do a lot of takes." Chadwick was determined to shoot as much as possible of "The Other Boleyn Girl" on location. "If the characters are at home in their real surroundings, it adds to the performances," he explained. In the end, the majority of the film’s exterior shots were filmed in real castles and estates throughout England, but for some interior shots, the realistically weathered look that Chadwick envisioned required building sets in the studio. "We did visit lots of the real locations, such as Hever Castle where the Boleyn family lived for a time, but most of those places are now part of the tourist heritage industry and have been cleaned up for visitors. They just don’t have the atmosphere they would have had during Henry’s reign." The house and grounds of Great Chalfield Manor, near Bath, was used by production as the country home of the Boleyns. Nearby, the production used Lacock Abbey as the gardens, cloisters and rooms of Whitehall Palace. Saint Bartholomew’s Church in the Smithfield area of London was the scene of both the trial of Queen Katherine and the grim wedding of pregnant Anne Boleyn and King Henry. The executions of Anne and George Boleyn, which took place within the Tower of London, were filmed in Dover Castle. Knole House, a stately home in Kent in South Eastern England, is known as a calendar house because of its 365 rooms. The house was owned by Henry VIII after he took it from the Archbishop of Canterbury; he used it as a hunting lodge. Penshurst Place, also in Kent, features in the film as the gardens and the grand dining hall of Whitehall Palace. The manor house is the most complete example of 14th Century domestic architecture that survives today. Henry’s son, Edward VI, granted the estate to Sir William Sidney in 1552, and the family have been in occupation ever since. For Costume Designer Sandy Powell, who has been nominated for a total of seven Academy Awards ®, the chance to work on "The Other Boleyn Girl" represented a great challenge: Powell and her team were responsible for designing and making hundreds of original costumes true to the Tudor era. Powell turned to the paintings of Hans Holbein (1497-1543) for inspiration for the costumes of Henry and the Boleyns. "He was the only artist of the time painting the Court of King Henry, and in such detail. The accepted image of Henry today is from Holbein’s painting (painted when Henry was 49 years old) that hangs in the National Gallery, with the king standing hands on hips, his legs astride. Of course, in our film, we are depicting Henry at a younger age, so we have our own Henry." And of all the costumes produced for the film, which was her favourite? "Natalie wears the Lily Dress while riding a horse," she said. "It’s bright green, with embroidered lilies up the front." What makes the film exceptional, goes beyond it's locations, glorious costuming and stunning cinematography. The beauty is in the two actresses who play the Boleyn sisters: Natalie Portman and Scalett Johansson. Both are beautiful accomplished and smart to boot! Portman has a degree in psychology from Harvard, while Johansson who made her stage debut at age eight and film debut at fourteen, is a graduate of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. In a twist of fate Portman turned down a role in "The Horse Whisperer" in which Johansson played the starring role of Grace MacLean. And in another twist, Portman has been nominated for a BAFTA and is a Golden Globe ® winner ("Closer"), while Johansson is a four times Golden Globe ® nominee and is a BAFTA winner ("Lost in Translation"). Both actresses are Academy Award nominees. Portman says she first approached the role of Anne Boleyn with research. Relying not only on the character as written in the novel but also on historical sources, she found that Anne was a woman both of her time and ahead of it. "Anne had a sense of self-respect that was uncommon for a woman of her time. She thought she deserved a status she was not born with, and this ultimately led to her demise. Marriage then was not about love; it was about uniting families to increase their power." As an only child, Natalie relied on her co-star for insight into sibling relationships. "Scarlett is one of four children. I felt like I had a co-conspirator; she’s a wonderful actor and a very playful person. Peter Morgan agreed that in every scene there were twenty things going on between the girls: loving, fighting, feeling guilty, rivalry, but above all closeness." Johansson also researched the period before playing the role. "It’s interesting to read about life at the Tudor courts. As the rest of the world was suffering, fighting religious wars and wars for land, the royal court was its own little world." Johansson’s main research tool for background on her character was the novel. "Not much is known about Mary’s life," she explained. "You can read different versions of how the affair with Henry came about and nothing is known about her personality. There were no articles written about her, no public interest in her. She was just another of the king’s mistresses." For Chadwick, one of the exciting prospects of The Other Boleyn Girl was the opportunity to show King Henry VIII as Anne and Mary see him; powerful, charming, and sexy, so different from the way he usually appears, as an older man. "Philippa Gregory had written about Henry as the handsome and intelligent man he was before the madness set in," he says. 2000 & '07 AFI Award winning actor Eric Bana ("Chopper" & "Romulus, My Father") was cast as the young King Henry VIII. While Bana has a well-established Hollywood career, it was his background in improvisational comedy (Bana received a Silver Logie award for "The Eric Bana Show" in 1977) that appealed to the director. "Eric is a handsome movie star, but his improv experience allows him to show the warmth and humanity of this man who was king of England." Bana was surprised to discover his wife Rebecca had read Philippa Gregory's book. "What appealed to me was the complexity of the man. "I felt that even when he behaved badly, there was logic to it that I could understand. By the end of the film we can see where he is headed," Bana says, "he’s becoming a spoiled brat, unpredictable and dangerous. In a sense, he’s leading a double life; he’s one man in full view of the court, but behind closed doors, he is mesmerized by Anne." Bana was full of praise for both Portman and Johansson, calling them "two freakishly great actors. They are two incredible wells of ability and emotional range. I was in awe watching them work. Having watched their careers progress, it seems bizarre that they are both so young. The sisterly relationship evolved so effortlessly." Synopsis

Two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family’s power and status by courting the affections of the king of England, Henry VIII. Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life, and what began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the king, who's wife Katherine of Aragon is out of favour, unable to produce an heir to the throne. Initially, Mary wins King Henry’s favor and becomes his mistress, bearing him an illegitimate child. But Anne, clever, conniving, fearless and ambitious, edges aside both her sister and Henry’s disgruntled wife, in her relentless pursuit of the king. Despite Mary’s genuine feelings for Henry, Anne has her sights set on the ultimate prize and will not stop until she is Queen of England.

The Verdict "Wickedly, deliciously and deleriously entertaining thanks to the exceptional performances of the two 'Boleyn Sister', Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johnsson. The settings, the costuming, dare I say it, everything, pales into insignificance every moment these two highly talented actress pervade the screen. Not that there's anything wrong with the performance of the supporting cast including that of Eric Bana who gives a surprisingly good account of himself portraying a much younger King Henry VIII. Has all the intrigue, drama, deception, manipulation and sexual couplings you'd expect from a first grade TV soapie. If soapies were only half as good as "The Other Boleyn Girl", TV ratings would go through the roof. Coincidentally, one might also make the same observation of Cate Blanchett's, "Elizabeth The Golden Age". It too, was only half as good as this film. Very recommended. Colorful, sumptuous, exciting and most importantly, entertaining. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL" stars .......
Natalie Portman ["The Professional", "Closer", "Paris, je t'aime", "The Darjeeling Limited" and "Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium"]; Scarlett Johansson ["A Good Woman", "Scoop", "The Black Dahlia" and "The Prestige"]; Eric Bana ["Black Hawk Down", "Munich", "Lucky You" and "Romulus, My Father"]; Jim Sturgess ["Mouth To Mouth" and "Across the Universe"]; Mark Rylance ["The Grass Arena", "Love Lies Bleeding" and "Intimacy"]; David Morrissey ["The Suicide Club", "Derailed" and "The Reaping"]; Eddie Redmayne ["Like Minds", "The Good Shepherd" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"] and Kristin Scott Thomas ["The Horse Whisperer", "Up at the Villa", "Life as a House", "Gosford Park", "Keeping Mum" and "The Golden Compass"] as Lady Elizabeth Boleyn.
"THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL" was .......
directed by Justin Chadwick ["Sleeping with the Fishes"]; screenplay by Peter Morgan ["Dear Rosie", "The Last King Of Scotland" and "The Queen"]; set decoration by Sara Wan ["Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London", "Enduring Love" and "Breakfast on Pluto"]; costume design by Sandy Powell ["The Crying Game", "The Aviator", "Mrs Henderson Presents" and "The Departed"]; production design by John Paul Kelly ["Bloody Sunday", "I Capture The Castle", "Lassie" and "Venus"]; edited by Paul Knightn ["Fish", "Ali G Indahouse" and "Nine Lives"] and Carol Littleton ["China Moon", "The Truth About Charlie" and "The Manchurian Candidate"]; cinematography by Kieran McGuigan [TV'S "Murder Prevention", "Hustle" and "Spooks"]; original music by Paul Cantelon ["Issaquena", "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "Year of the Fish"]. Who's Who?

Natalie Portman Scarlett Johansson Eric Bana Jim Sturgess Mark Rylance Kristin Scott Thomas David Morrissey Benedict Cumberbatch Oliver Coleman Ana Torrent Eddie Redmayne Tom Cox Michael Smiley Juno Temple Iain Mitchell Andrew Garfield Lewis Jones Corinne Galloway Alfie Allen Tiffany Freisberg Bill Wallis Joanna Scanlan Brodie Judge Oscar Negus Maisie Smith Daisy Doidge-Hill Kizzy Fassett Finton Reilly Emma Noakes Poppy Hurst Constance Stride

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Anne Boleyn Mary Boleyn Henry Tudor George Boleyn Sir Thomas Boleyn Lady Elizabeth Boleyn The Duke of Norfolk William Carey Henry Percy Katherine of Aragon William Stafford Rider Physician Jane Parker Thomas Cromwell Francis Weston Brandon Mark Jane Seymour King's Messenger Mary Talbot Archbishop Cranmer Midwife Young Catherine Little Henry Young Elizabeth Young Anne Young Mary Young George Maid Poppy Hurst Mary Tudor

Run Time 104 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - United Pictures International - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.