"The Other Boleyn Girl" should have been tragic, should have been dramatic, should have been, to put it in short, a masterpiece. Instead, countless talented performers are forced to pigeon-hole themselves into caricature roles with a script and direction that collapses under its own weight.
The film is based off of Philippa Gregory's historical fiction novel of the same name and tells the tale of King Henry VIII (played by Eric Bana) and his evolving relationships with the Boleyn sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson). Anne, the older sister, is fiery and manipulative, while Mary is a "simple, uncomplicated girl." The girls are brought before the King when his wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent), fails to produce a male heir for the British throne. The Boleyn sisters' father, Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance) and his brother-in-law, the conniving Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey), decide to invite the king to their home in hopes that Anne will become the king's mistress, thereby securing wealth and status for the entire family.
A long, drawn-out love polygon (too many sides to count) ensues as the king accidentally falls for the married Mary, but is later wooed by Anne, who has returned from her temporary exile. Eventually, as history has taught us, King Henry forms the Church of England by divorcing Catherine and marrying Anne, who refuses his sexual advances until they are lawfully wedded.
With the exception of Johansson, who once more weakens the quality of a film in which she stars, the cast is exceptionally strong. Bana wowed audiences in "Munich" (2005) and is a wonderful king, and Portman is stunningly malicious as the woman who leads him to his downfall as well as her own. The film's seductive and sensual tone harkens back to Portman's excellent work four years ago in "Closer" (2004), a role that earned her an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress. The two actors, though Australian- and American-raised, respectively, convincingly embody British royalty with an air of superiority that is priceless and delightful to watch. Rylance and Kristen Scott Thomas, who portrays Thomas Boleyn's level-headed, realistic wife, both flesh out their roles to the best of their ability.
The first of three wonderful surprises in the cast is Jim Sturgess as the Boleyn brother, most recently seen in last year's "Across the Universe" (2007). He once again proves why the New York Times named him as one of their "breaking through" stars of 2008.
The second great surprise is Juno Temple, who here shows up as Jane Parker, another vixen eager to climb her way up the social ladder. She is recognizable, though not immediately, as Lola Quincey from the far superior "Atonement" (2007). The last shock is Benedict Cumberbatch, playing William Carey, Mary's weak-willed husband. These actors may seem to be pieced together from a British Hollywood jigsaw puzzle, but the effect of the cast is dazzling.
It is such a shame then that the film inundates the viewer with creepy, time-lapse photography and overly melodramatic music. The writing is even worse. Sentences meant to convey romance and spice between lovers end up sounding crass, such as Anne's assertion that she will hold on to her horse "with [her] thighs." Sentences meant to convey emotional weight and jealousy come off as unintentionally amusing. Take, for instance, the Duke's question to Mary. "Well?" he asks. "Did he have you ... more than once?"
The grand statements of the film have the same effect, a true disgrace considering they often come from the mouths of today's most terrific actors. The straw that breaks the camel's back, however, is the on-screen epilogue.
While it does well to unfold the futures for some characters, it also attempts to surprise the audience with history many learned during middle or high school.
This film could have been good, if not great. All of the necessary elements are there. Even ignoring the performers, this is a story filled with intrigue, violence, love and passion taking place under a tyrannical, unchallenged king.
This historical soap opera, instead of moving the audience, tries too hard and comes away with nothing. It just goes to show that one shouldn't trust a cast of this caliber and an epic love story of power and betrayal to a director whose only previous film is "Sleeping with the Fishes" (1997).
