Based on the best selling novel by Brit author Philippa Gregory, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL is a historical romance and intrigue pitting the wits of two sisters, Mary (Scarlett Johansson) and Anne (Natalie Portman) against each other.  After King Henry (Eric Bana) VIII of England tires of the queen, Katherine of Aragon (Kristin Scott Thomas), he initially takes Mary as his mistress who bears him a ***censored*** son.  But sister Anne manipulates herself into the bedroom of the King forcing him finally to marry her on the promise that she will bear him a male heir to the throne.  Mary is thus reduced to THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL.

For a historical epic full of lavish costumes, sets and production design, director Justin Chadwick’s (his directorial debut) is noticeably empty in the elements of his story-telling.  For one, he leaves out the juiciest parts of Gregory’s novel – like the affair between brother, George (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and the soon to be seen 21) and his homosexual lover.  George, scheming and cunning in the book is reduced to a whimpering mess in the film.  Chadwick films good confrontation scenes like the one between the arguing sisters but the grounds for their anger are not established convincingly.  In the story, King Henry VIII is in his early 30’s.  Director Chadwick, writer Peter Morgan (THE QUEEN and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) and Bana are all young with Morgan the oldest in his 40’s, which helps, as the mood of the spirit of abandoned youth is effectively captured.

The film offers more screen time for Portman and Johansson (who do quite well here, even with their fake Brit accents) than for Eric Bana (Aussie here also putting on Brit accent) as King Henry VIII.  The result is a film feeling like a glossy female soap opera.  But the last film in 1969 based on Henry VIII, Charles Jarrott’s ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS fared no matter.  But at least that one had Richard Burton as the King and the fantastic Irene Papas as the Queen.