Period drama based on best-selling book and harrowing real life events on Netflix now
The Other Boleyn Girl is a 2008 Tudor period drama film starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, telling the story of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn, and her entanglement with King Henry VIII
The film follows the two Boleyn daughters as they get involved with King Henry VIII(Image: Copyright: 2006 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
Fans of the Tudor era stories of romance, tragedy, betrayal and trauma have a few favourite movies and TV shows depicting the era.
There appears to be no shortage of fresh perspectives on the tale of Henry VIII and his six wives, but a particularly fresh take on the narrative inspired a book by Philippa Gregory, released in 2001.
The novel was then adapted into a film in 2008. The Other Boleyn Girl charts the story of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn and mistress of her husband, King Henry VIII.
Here, the younger sibling tends the wounds of the infamous King, who then becomes smitten with her, earning a place at court. After the king and queen fail to produce a male heir, both Mary and Anne become ladies-in-waiting to Queen Catherine.
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Soon, Mary secretly becomes pregnant with Henry VIII’s child, while Anne, eyeing the throne, is determined to convince him to divorce the Queen so she can secure an heir.
Anne Boleyn was played by Natalie Portman(Image: Photo credit: Alex Bailey)What follows is the mix of heartbreak, childbirth, infidelity, power struggle and societal complexity that is characteristic of dramas of the 16th century.
At the time of release, The Other Boleyn Girl raked in over $78 million at the box office, nearly double its $35 million production budget.
Most online reviews praise the film’s impressive cast. One fan wrote: “Acting, especially by Portman and Johansson, is of the first order, without any elements of melodrama. Color photography and the framing are superb. Every scene looks like it originated in an oil painting from a few centuries ago. Totally enjoyable!”
Apart from Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as Anne and Mary, respectively, the cast also features Eric Bana taking on the role of Henry VIII, Jim Sturgess as George Boleyn, Sir Mark Rylance as Thomas Boleyn, Benedict Cumberbatch as William Carey, and Eddie Redmayne as William Stafford.
Eric Bana played the role of King Henry VIII in this adaptation(Image: Copyright: 2006 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
Another review went deeper, reflecting about the struggles of the era: “I am very happy that the movie shows us the steps and choices that are necessary in the life of a great person. I like the movie.”
A critic chose some technical elements as their highlight, writing: “The props and costume design is great and really capture the time period it is set up in.”
Finally, another expressed appreciation for the film’s realistic tone: “An anti-Romantic historical film. I find it relieving to see this type of interpretation of historical events. I tend to find them more believable and immersive. These people had some serious social-psychological problems.”
Watch The Other Boleyn Girl on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky and Apple TV.
