Netflix UK film review: The Other Boleyn Girl
Review Overview
Costumes
6Cast
6Script
2David Farnor | On 31, Aug 2017
Director: Justin Chadwick
Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlet Johansson, Eric Bana
Certificate: 12A
Watch The Other Boleyn Girl online in the UK: Netflix UK / Amazon Prime / Apple TV (iTunes) / Prime Video (Buy/Rent) / TalkTalk TV / Google Play
Rustling petticoats, whispered rumours and nocturnal visits to the King’s boudoir – welcome to Court, circa 1526. Head of State is Henry VII (Bana), a man whose sexual prowess apparently cannot be surpassed. Enter Anne (Portman) and Mary (Johansson) Boleyn, positioned by their manipulative moustache-twirling uncle to ensnare the King and bear him a child, thus ensuring the family’s success.
And so begins a carefully planned act of seduction by Anne. She flirts, she eats with the King, she even goes hunting with him. “How will you stay on your horse?” asks the King. “With my thighs.” she replies. Thy Kingdom Come, indeed. But things go awry when Mary slips between the King’s majestic sheets, impregnated by royal seed within minutes. Cue sibling rivalry.
Historically, the (very) basic details are true: there were two Boleyn sisters, Mary did have children, and Anne did eventually ascend to the throne. But the exact scandalous happenings at Court – mostly speculation by novelist Phillipa Gregory – are less known. These form the main content of The Other Boleyn Girl, as any political or gender-based commentary feels shunted to one side in favour of covert copulation.
Determined to secure a 12A rating, however, even this is uneven. Unsure which angle to take, Peter Morgan’s melodramatic script only succeeds at being too heavy-handed. Bana’s emo monarch endlessly storms through corridors, beard quivering and trousers at the ready. Portman and Johansson are excellent with the restrictive script they’ve been given, but their sisterly bond doesn’t get the chance to evoke much sympathy.
Fresh from BBC’s Bleak House, Chadwick shoots the action on clandestine handheld cameras; chairs, tables, any hiding place will do, as we witness events like some kind of voyeuristic member of the house staff. At other times, he lurks in the grass outside, bringing the glamorous grounds to the fore. The decent production values, though, cannot distract from a film that’s too overcooked to ring true.
The Other Boleyn Girl is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.It is also available to watch online on Amazon Prime Video as part of a Prime membership or a £5.99 monthly subscription.