By Kim Williams
Many people warned me against seeing The Other Boleyn Girl. However, I am open-minded and curious, so I decided to check it out and thankfully I was pleasantly surprised. As both a product of a generation with a relatively short attention span and a movie buff who loathes wasting time on a bad picture, this film is one of an elite few that has proved capable of holding my attention for almost two hours. It is a story of intrigue, court love affairs, power struggles, and family.
The film centers on the turmoil as two sisters struggle for the attention of King Henry. Although many people will be familiar with the plot from history class, the actors do a superb job of capturing the audience’s interest regardless. The film features an all-star cast, including Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn, Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn, Eric Bana as King Henry, and Jim Sturgess (from Across the Universe) as George Boleyn. Even though I know how the relationship between Anne Boleyn and King Henry ends, I still found myself ashamedly in tears as the conclusion drew near (I will not ruin it for anyone who somehow managed to glide through life without learning this fact).
Perhaps it is only for history enthusiasts, but I think the movie is capable of interesting a large spectrum of people. Not only are the costumes themselves fascinating enough to draw ones attention, and the scenery worth at least a glance, but the acting was beautifully done. For anyone who is a fan of Sturgess, he has a heart wrenching scene which was so well done I felt the urge to stand up and clap. The movie also has some interesting twists, such as portraying King Henry as a more sympathetic character. Filled with drama, romance and heartbreak, this is a film worth seeing.