The other Boleyn girl

Based on the best selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family’s power and status by courting the affections of the King of England (Eric Bana).

Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life – and what began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the king. Initially, Mary wins King Henry’s favor and becomes his mistress, bearing him an illegitimate child. But Anne, clever, conniving, and fearless, edges aside both her sister and Henry’s wife, Queen Katherine of Aragon, in her relentless pursuit of the king.

Despite Mary’s genuine feelings for Henry, her sister Anne has her sights set on the ultimate prize; Anne will not stop until she is Queen of England. As the Boleyn girls battle for the love of a king – one driven by ambition, the other by true affection – England is torn apart. Despite the dramatic consequences, the Boleyn girls ultimately find strength and loyalty in each other, and they remain forever connected by their bond as sisters.

Genre: DRAMA
Players: NATHALIE PORTMAN, SCARLETT JOHANSSON, ERIC BANA
Directed by: JUSTIN CHADWICK
Written by: PETER MORGAN
Producer: ALISON OWEN
Production Company: SONY PICTURES
Homepage: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/theotherboleyngirl/
Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467200/trailers-me701036451
Duration: 115 MIN

Personal opinion :
Just before you may want to see this film, you should introduce yourself with England's history, because this story really happened (well, basically, dialogs and speeches are not those that happened, but the facts, generally speaking, are true) and this embodies the beginning of a new era in England. For a guy like me (French), England is very important to my culture because between England and France, there are always be wars till the first World War.

The fact that Henry VIII decided to go on his own and not follow the Pope, the fact the the king could touch every girl he wanted, the way Nathalie Portman plays and for the costums, landscapes, ... this film is really worth it. For Aussies, I think Eric Bana is Australian, so you might find it good to watch.

At last, there is a dark atmosphere in the film that makes it, for once, a good medieval looking film. And, things happen fast, things surprise you, there are unpredictable things that happen, and Kristin Scott Thomas is really a god actress in his role (mum of the two Boleyn girls), in contradiction with a father whose power is decreasing and who is submitted to pressure so easily. That film speaks of ambition, of danger, of cruelty of the ancient medieval times. Well, this is a good film.