The Other Boleyn Girl!
 

Anybody been to see this flick yet? I saw it today in Los Angeles and it is very good. A very tragic story. Henry was not a nice guy.

Scarlett Johansson is extraordinary as Mary Boleyn. Great period movie. Costumes are realistic. Eric Bana (born Eric Banadinovich) is a believable Henry VIII. I really like this period of European history, mid 16th century.

Anne and brother George's executions were handled tastefully, as best it could under the circumstances. I've seen worse on HBO. I recommend to anyone interested in historical films.

Anybody out there from the UK that wants to comment?

I planned on seeing it given the story and the talent invloved but the reviews have been pretty dismal so I guess I'll wait for DVD... I have "Anne of The Thousand Days" in my frame of reference and would likely be disappointed if I held it to that standard.

I'm just wondering if it's historically accurate, or is it made for film? I don't know, never looked into it myself. I have to say I find it quite amusing that the actresses are American doing a Brit accent :)..actually, the best ones for that, have to be Gwenyth and Renee...they do it extremely well!

Anneand her sister were French ..maybe that is why Genevieve Bujold was so awesome in Anne of The Thousand days..so kind of lame that they put on fake English accents in it.

I believe it only opened here today. I do plan to see it

Anne of a Thousand Days was a great film. I haven't seen it in a long time though

I'm going by memory here (not firsthand, thanks :p ), but I thought Anne was English but ended up in France as a lady in waiting (and possibly royal mistress) due to family connections. (Granted, she would have acquired French manners and accent.)
But I agree that Bujold gives a very good performance, even though the film is pretty unreliable as a history (not that this would necessarily affect someone's enjoyment in viewing the film). I remember cringing when Mary Tudor is at her mother's deathbed, when in reality Henry kept them apart as punishment for Catherine's refusal to accept divorce.

As for the new movie, I saw a review that it is much too tame for such a raunchy tale, that it never really goes far enough. (I know some people are already bothered by the incest implications in the script.)
For you Brits, I heard there is another version of The Other Boleyn Girl that aired on the BBC that is much better. Have any of you seen it?

- Jake

I hope this is not a spoiler (I haven't seen the movie), but I hear that it is not very accurate, & that the filmmakers take some liberties with how far Anne will go to conceive a child.

- Jake

I've been hearing for a couple of years that there are plans for a big movie about Mary Queen of Scots. I hate the old Katharine Hepburn one, and the one from the 1970s has Vanessa Redgrave badly miscast (other than her height) in the role. I forget who was up for the part this time.

- Jake

Oooh... I would love a movie about Mary Queen of Scots. I recently read a great book about her (I got it when I was up in Edinburgh). I didn't realise she was 6ft tall!

:nod: indeed they do.

i saw the film last week and as far as historical films are concerned, this was probably one of my least favorite [and i've seen a ton]. frankly, the way the movie began and ended reminded me much too much of elizabeth. i just didn't very much care for the cast -- though eric banna did surprise me.

for more of an interesting look at the tudors, watch the showtime series.

I thought it was all a bit daft. I don't mind films ignoring the historical facts but the tale was crazy. Some of the dialogue between Henry and Mary was straight out of the school playground. Mark Rylance was pretty good but he is a great actor. It is disappointing when the break with the Church of Rome is portrayed as just a divorce issue - the politics behind it are fascinating. But maybe that isn't particularly interesting for a film.

Not a 'must see' film but Scarlett Johansson kept my interest.

It seems when these period films aren't done quite right they lapse into absurdity ..Even the great Cate Blanchett couldn't quite save Elizabeth The Golden Age but she almost did . She is that good.

Cate's performance was very good and actually I enjoyed that film. But this wasn't as enjoyable. As I say I don't mind them changing the facts if the story is at least believeable. This wasn't. I'm keen to see 10,000BC but at least I know that will be ridiculous before I get there :)

Pip.. Have you ever been to the Heaver Castle? It's SOOO awesome! I was taken there the very first time I landed in England, as it was to visit some friend's in Cambridge. We were taken to the Heaver Castle right after getting out of the airport.. and I'm STILL to this day blown away!:blob2: