The Other Boleyn Girl

Look at the thirty minutes of out-takes and deleted scenes in this DVD's extras and you'll see that many of the best, explanatory, and touching scenes (mostly involving Mary Boleyn) were chopped out. All because some idiot wanted to keep this film to two hours.

What remains is visually breath-taking, thought-provoking, and intense. Cinematography is outstanding. This film stayed in our thoughts long after my wife and I left the theater. Philippa Gregory, in many of the DVD's extras, gives much commentary and describes the film as "beautiful."

I agree that this film is best approached as a stand-alone movie. Through the decades, generations of readers have expressed their disappointment at films based on the book. GONE WITH THE WIND was not as good as its book. When it was released, THE WIZARD OF OZ was considered mediocre and unlike the J. Frank Baum book on which it was based.

Still, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL should be seen, if not in this version then in its British version. Why? Because of Anne Boleyn's historical significance. If not for Anne, there would be no Queen Elizabeth I. If not for Elizabeth, there would be no push for English colonization and no English-speaking North America. Then you couldn't read this review, because I can't speak French!

I am not big on these type of movies, but I have to say this one moved me.

After watching for a couple of weeks, at the rate of one episode per night, Michael Hirst's TV series «The Tudors" The Tudors - The Complete First SeasonThe Tudors - Season 2, I was appalled by the bad acting, the awful dialogue and the general lack of artistry of this movie. Only the lighting of some interiors, deftly imitated from Vermeer, and a few pretty --yet trite-- open air scenes earns it a second star with me. Otherwise, it can serve only as a foil against which one can better appreciate Hirst's apt and often incisive dialogue, as well as the incredibly lively and attractive acting of Rhys Meyer and Dorman as Henry and Ann (not to mention the splendid performances of the actors who impersonate Wolsey, Thomas More, Catherine of Aragon, the Earl of Wiltshire, and almost every other significant character). Historical accuracy might not stand high in the minds of the authors of either production, but where the soap opera succeeds in providing a quite impressive view of power struggles in 16th century England (and Europe), the present movie does not make it even as a sordid sex story.

I recently watched this movie, and I have mixed feeling about it. While it is true that historical accuracy is stretched and the dialogue isn't exactly period, I enjoyed the performance given by the actors chosen for the role, and much of the movie on its own account. However, the movie generally is choppy, not unlike a Reader's Digest version of something longer...I am left with the notion that this DVD is actually meant for Prime Time Television, edited for time allotted between commercials, and so left me feeling cheated. I wonder if Justin Chadwick (the Director) just lost interest in the project. SO, not a movie to buy, but not too bad a rental for a rainy day.

This was a wonderful film. Very true, historically. Well acted. Authentic costumes. Good character development. Well done!