While Apple is busy inventing newer gadgets we simply can't live without, infomercials are shouting the benefits of OxyClean, and obscure companies continue coming up with more ways to remove hair. Something is missing in the technological world -- a time machine. Think of how much more we'd be able to appreciate our lives if we could travel back to a time when Plus Dollars didn't exist and Greenberry's probably referred to a poisonous plant.
Thankfully, director Justin Chadwick's The Other Boleyn Girl delays the urgency for such an invention by giving the modern moviegoer an accurate look into a not-so-rosy past.
The film begins with golden fields and an easy breeze, leisurely ushering in the opening credits. As tensions rise exponentially between Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) and her sister Anne (Natalie Portman), however, the easy breeze is replaced by a veritable tornado.
The film starts off a bit choppy with short, random scenes that introduce new characters and dialogue that feels more mechanical than convincing. On their own, these flaws would undoubtedly have made the film's opening exceptionally tedious. Thankfully, it is saved by the lush, breath-taking cinematography. Many of the outdoor shots could be mistaken for paintings featuring imposingly picturesque estates, sweeping landscapes and sun-drenched riding parties. The costumes paired with an almost golden tint make each shot a feast for the eyes.
The film's deliciously intense characters are just as alluring as the dazzling cinematography. From the despicable Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey) to the indelible Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent), each actor illustrates his or her character with startling immediacy. Johansson is the very picture of a sweet natured, naïve girl led astray by those closest to her and manages to convey more with glances than with dialogue. By contrast, Portman makes no use of subtlety and goes straight for the throat (if you'll pardon the expression). She portrays a daring, outspoken and mischievously ambitious woman unwilling to be just a pawn, aiming instead to be the queen -- untroubled by the people she steps on to get there. When Portman's character gets particularly heinous, the film gets tiresome. Johansson steps back in, however, and lessens the severity just enough to keep us watching.
When the plot takes a tragically perilous turn, the film captures the audience in a broad emotional sweep. Kristin Scott Thomas, in the crucial role of Lady Elizabeth Boleyn, plays an amazing mother whose two children have been executed due to the whims of her power hungry male relatives (that's not a spoiler kids, it's in the history books). Hers seems to be the only voice of reason, while the rest of the characters get caught in the web of a perilous court -- and all this is presided over by a king who has the attention span of a housefly.
The Other Boleyn Girl isn't a feel-good movie in the true sense of the word. Its greatest pleasures come not from easy laughs and an uplifting plot, but rather from great acting, breathtaking cinematography, inspirationally strong women characters and a slew of complex themes -- adultery, unrequited love, bitterly unfair situations and even (gasp) a hint of incest. You could, however, come out of the movie feeling much better than you did before. If your significant other loses interest in you, at least you won't be decapitated. 3
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