Powerful women with plunging necklines
The story of Anne and The Other Boleyn Girl
By Kelly Skinner
Published: March 26th, 2008 | 2:30pm
It’s the wet dream of countless men: Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson united in a glorious cacophony of sweaty, busty, quivering sexiness.
Yet, as much as I respect their beauty and acting abilities, I preferred viewing The Other Boleyn Girl at a time when I knew that my boyfriend could not. I did appreciate his support on the matter, but was unsure as to how much of his “oh my God(s)” I could stand every time Johansson so much as puffed her lips.
So I went alone, staunchly determined to hate the movie, and as often happens when I walk into movies with this attitude, I was pleasantly surprised. From the get-go, the audience is caught up in a story that unfolds like juicy gossip. The cinematography and costumes are lovely and oftentimes breathtaking in the way that only period pieces can be. Yet, unlike Marie Antoinette, there is more substance to this film than just the eye candy.
Johansson plays a convincing virgin with an angelic-like quality of purity that seems completely out of character for the otherwise overly-confident actress. Portman is the embodiment of a conniving, yet endearing, bitch with too much ambition and too little concern of those around her.
Eric Bana plays the Hulk again in the form of Henry VIII. It isn’t easy being green or king, so what is there to do but be very, very angry? King Henry VIII has some problems producing a male heir which is a bit of a touchy subject for him. So he wears funny hats and tights and then does the dirty with the two busty sisters who are forced by weak male relatives to vie for the position of royal whore.
As far as the whole seduction thing goes, there’s more teasing here than actual flesh fest material. Yes, both leading ladies breathe quickly and their breasts pulse up and down in the constriction of their corsets, but as far as the actual sex goes, it is far more conservative than the previews would have you think. Thanks in part to the screen-writer of the film, Peter Morgan (the man behind The Queen), it’s the respect for powerful women not the beauty of women that ranks of highest importance in this chick flick. Morgan’s admiration of strong women shines through again in a movie that could have stuck with a shallow premise if it wanted to.
Despite the fact that everyone knows that the story will end with the command of “off with her head,” a thrill of suspense still exists within the relationship of Anne and Mary. Based on the novel of the same name by Philippa Gregory, this is a tale of sisterhood, strength and the poison of jealousy. We see women at their best and at their worst, but at all times they remain interesting, complex, and essentially human. It makes you think about yourself and about the kind of woman that you are, and the one you hope to become. In the end it’s the kind of movie that’s good for watching with sisters. There may not be too much depth, but there’s enough to hold a person’s interest and to inspire them to head to the library afterwards.
Issue #33
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