Review - The Other Boleyn Girl

Rarely does a movie feature two leading ladies who are both devastatingly gorgeous and yet also incredibly talented. Even rarer is a screenplay based on historical events both entertaining and thought-provoking. The Other Boleyn Girl has it all. Two leading ladies in the form of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johannson who deliver nuanced, powerful performances and a screenplay which is so full of tension and underlying hostilities that it can't help but be engrossing, combine to make this movie one of the best of the year. (So far!)
The story is the oft-told tale of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII and their love...which split an entire nation and ended with Boleyn's head rolling into the crowd. The film really couldn't go wrong with screenwriter Peter Morgan who also penned last year's fantastic Last King of Scotland and The Queen, both also based on historical facts. His screenplay is loaded with conflicting tensions and excellent asides. He manages to capture the pomp of the court while also showing the seedy, manipulative, blatantly corrupt aspects of the monarchy. This is one of few films which actually manages to be somewhat realistic about the scheming that goes on in court. A large part of the is due to the phenomenal screenplay.
Of course a great screenplay can be crippled by actors and actresses who don't understand the broad range of emotions that liven up the character but aren't actually written on the page. Luckily, Portman, Johannson and the supporting cast don't fall into that trap. Johannson and Portman should thank Morgan for writing a screenplay that gives them the chance to show off their acting chops. If his previous forays into fictionalized history are any indication, this film could see them both nominated for some awards. Both Forest Whittaker and Helen Mirren won Best Actor/Actress for their roles in his previous films. Both of these women have more than earned some recognition for their work in this film.
Johannson is perfect as the submissive and overshadowed Mary. She is so kind and unassuming that the audience can't help but love her and empathize with her when Anne betrays her. Yet, she has enough tenacity to pull of the sibling rivalry in her scenes with Anne. One can't help but feel for her as she kneels before the king begging for her sister's life even after he abandoned her with his child or as she marches defiantly through the court after seeing her sister beheaded in order to retrieve Anne's child. Johannson plays her perfectly as the wounded simple girl who just wants to live in the country and be happy. She is the exact antithesis to Portman's Anne and definitely the more sympathetic of the two. However, Portman makes the hard sell and makes Anne relatable even as she schemes and betrays and divides England.
Portman is a strong enough actress that she is completely believable as the coquettish young girl who defied a king and country. She is equally believable as the victim at the end of the film, beheaded for failing to produce a male heir and betraying the king. She is defiant and sassy and completely enthralling as she maneuvers her way through court to become one of the most fascinating characters in history.
Ironically enough, the one weakness of the film is that nobody seems to be able to decide whether Anne is the villain or the hero of this particular take on her tale. While historically accurate, this dichotomy disconnects the viewer. At times you can't help but root for her as she blasts the king with comments like "[I'll stay on my horse]...the same way you do, my lord. With my thighs." But you also can't help but hate her as she gloats at Mary, holding her bastard child, after convincing the king to dismiss her from court and as she slowly drives Henry (Eric Bana) into desperation by never quite delivering on the promises she makes to him.
Bana himself is also worthy of some recognition as the tortured King. Though his screentime is small, he makes the most of it--the pain of making such monumental decisions clearly etched onto his face. He is best in the scene where he finally forces Anne to sleep with him, finally revealing the terrible temper he is known for.
Director Justin Chadwick, though relatively new to the feature film game, is a competent and confident filmmaker. His camera is relatively static through much of the film, not relying on any camera tricks or special effects to help portray the simmering tension between the characters. Rather, he lets the actors and the intricate mise-en-scene to do the work for him. With that said, the film itself is beautiful. With a period piece like this the set design and costumes are always magnificent but they are especially so in this film, each costume and set being more than just (what I'm assuming is) historically accurate but also being rather telling of the type of scene or character you are watching. Just by looking at the costume designs of Anne and Mary, you can tell exactly what kind of personality they have. The Other Boleyn Girl is an excellent example of how every aspect of the actual construction of the film can add something to the story.
It's inevitable that people will call this film the Desperate Housewives of Tudor England. In a lot of way this is true--bed hopping, seduction, and potential catfights abound--however, the talented team of people behind this movie have made it less about the soap opera and more about the political strife and plotting than anything else. Unfortunately, it seems that some people just can't get past the eye candy and give credit where credit is due when a great film finally comes along...