The clever casting alone had promise: the role reversal of the va-va-voomy Scarlett Johansson playing sweet country girl Mary Boleyn and the pixieish Natalie Portman playing her scheming vixen of an older sister, Anne.
High camp
Add hunky Eric Bana to the mix as Henry VIII, jumping back and forth between these two contrasting beauties in his fiery youth, and the possibilities seemed even more intriguing. Instead, "The Other Boleyn Girl" too often comes off as an unintentionally campy, highbrow soap opera -- albeit one with elaborate production design and richly textured costumes (the work of Sandy Powell, an Oscar winner for "Shakespeare in Love" and "The Aviator").
Film's scribe hasd better luck with other royal efforts
Director Justin Chadwick's film, based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, looks great, the high-definition heightening both the grit and glamour of 16th-century England. But surprisingly, the script from Peter Morgan, who had a terrific year in 2006 between "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland," vacillates awkwardly between sexy romp and serious period piece.
Johannson out 'fake-British-accents' Portman
The American actresses, putting on British accents, seem ill at ease at first but Johansson settles nicely into her role as the Boleyn sister with more complex, conflicting emotions of love and loyalty. Portman's Anne Boleyn is all ruthless flirting and conniving but she can't quite pull it off; rather, it feels as if we're watching the petite starlet playing dress-up for a high school production. PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images.
114 min.
Two stars out of four.
