The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

Director:

Justin Chadwick

Writers:

Peter Morgan (screenplay)
Philippa Gregory (novel)

Release Date:

29 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

The only thing that could come between these sisters... is a kingdom.

Plot:

Two sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.

Plot Keywords:

King | King Henry VIII | Betrayal | Intrigue | Ambition

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Natalie Portman	...	Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson	...	Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana	...	Henry Tudor
Jim Sturgess	...	George Boleyn
Mark Rylance	...	Sir Thomas Boleyn
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Lady Elizabeth Boleyn
David Morrissey	...	The Duke of Norfolk
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	William Carey
Oliver Coleman	...	Henry Percy
Ana Torrent	...	Katherine of Aragon
Eddie Redmayne	...	William Stafford
Tom Cox	...	Rider
Michael Smiley	...	Physician
Montserrat Roig de Puig	...	Lady in Waiting
Juno Temple	...	Jane Parker
Iain Mitchell	...	Thomas Cromwell
Andrew Garfield	...	Francis Weston (credit only)
Lewis Jones	...	Brandon (as Mark Lewis Jones)
Corinne Galloway	...	Jane Seymour
Alfie Allen	...	King's Messenger
Joseph Moore	...	Young Henry
Tiffany Freisberg	...	Mary Talbot
Bill Wallis	...	Archbishop Cranmer
Joanna Scanlan	...	Midwife
Brodie Judge	...	Young Catherine
Oscar Negus	...	Little Henry
Maisie Smith	...	Young Elizabeth
Daisy Doidge-Hill	...	Young Anne
Kizzy Fassett	...	Young Mary
Finton Reilly	...	Young George
Emma Noakes	...	Maid
Poppy Hurst	...	Little Cartherine
Constance Stride	...	Mary Tudor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victoria Bull	...	Lady-in-Waiting to Jane Boleyn (uncredited)
Elizabeth Croft	...	Lady Duncombe (uncredited)
James Fiddy	...	Nobleman (uncredited)
Rebecca Grant	...	French Courtier (uncredited)
Shane Nolan	...	King's Guard (uncredited)
Mark Smith	...	Howard Nobleman (uncredited)
Karol Steele	...	Noblewoman (uncredited)
Serena Tona-Wade	...	Wench (uncredited)

Directed by
Justin Chadwick

Writing credits
Peter Morgan		(screenplay)
Philippa Gregory		(novel)

Produced by
Mark Cooper	....	co-producer
Alison Owen	....	producer
Jane Robertson	....	line producer: additional photography
Scott Rudin	....	executive producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer
Faye Ward	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Paul Cantelon

Cinematography by
Kieran McGuigan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Knight
Carol Littleton

Casting by
Karen Lindsay-Stewart

Production Design by
John Paul Kelly		(as John-Paul Kelly)

Art Direction by
David Allday		(supervising art director)
Matthew Gray		(as Matt Gray)
Emma MacDevitt
Kevin Phipps

Set Decoration by
Sara Wan

Costume Design by
Sandy Powell

Makeup Department
Paul Gooch	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	makeup artist
Barbara Olvera	....	hair stylist: Ms. Johansson
Peter Owen	....	wig designer
Lisa Pickering	....	hair stylist
Lisa Pickering	....	makeup artist
Ivana Primorac	....	hair designer
Ivana Primorac	....	makeup designer
Nikita Rae	....	makeup artist: Ms. Portman
Heba Thorisdottir	....	makeup artist: Ms. Johansson
Christine Whitney	....	hair stylist (as Chrissie Whitney)
Christine Whitney	....	makeup artist (as Chrissie Whitney)
Suzanne Jansen	....	crowd hair stylist (uncredited)
Suzanne Jansen	....	crowd makeup artist (uncredited)
Camilla Kirk-Reynolds	....	makeup trainee (uncredited)
Andy Seston	....	hair trainee (uncredited)
Andy Seston	....	makeup trainee (uncredited)
Barbara Taylor	....	crowd hair stylist (uncredited)
Barbara Taylor	....	crowd makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tania Blunden	....	post-production supervisor
Mally Chung	....	unit manager
Rachel Neale	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Bennett	....	third assistant director
Bryn Lawrence	....	third assistant director
Olivia Lloyd	....	second assistant director
Alex Oakley	....	first assistant director: second unit (as Alexander Oakley)
Samar Pollitt	....	second second assistant director (as Sam Pollitt)
Deborah Saban	....	first assistant director
Joe Barlow	....	assistant director: additional photography (uncredited)
Dan Channing-Williams	....	third assistant director: crowd (uncredited)
Joey Coughlin	....	third assistant director: crowd (uncredited)
Chris Croucher	....	additional third assistant director (uncredited)
Ben Dixon	....	second assistant director: additional photography (uncredited)
Henry Forsyth	....	third assistant director: crowd (uncredited)
Ben Harrison	....	additional second assistant director (uncredited)
Toby Hefferman	....	first assistant director: additional photography (uncredited)
Paul Mindel	....	additional third assistant director (uncredited)
Paul Sacks	....	additional assistant director (uncredited)
Paul Sacks	....	assistant director: additional photography (uncredited)

Art Department
Ken Barley	....	hod plasterer (as Kenny Barley)
Mark Goodman	....	stand-by stagehand
David Haberfield	....	hod painter (as Dave Haberfield)
Katy Harvey	....	stand-by art director
Catherine Haugh	....	construction coordinator
Springer Horrill	....	property master (as David Springer Horrill)
Thomas Martin	....	construction manager
Tom Martin	....	construction manager
Dan Maslen	....	storyboard artist
John McGee	....	stand-by carpenter
John O'Brien	....	hod carpenter
Alan Payne	....	graphic artist
Sui Rajakaruna	....	assistant art director
Claire Nia Richards	....	leadman (as Claire Richards)
Sophie Tyler	....	assistant set decorator
David Weller	....	stand-by rigger (as Dave Weller)
Penny White	....	assistant property mistress
Derek Whorlow	....	hod stagehand
Eddie Wolstencroft	....	stand-by painter
Giles Asbury	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Chris Cull	....	property master: additional photography (uncredited)
Laurent Ferrie	....	drapesman (uncredited)
Nick Gottschalk	....	art director: additional photography (uncredited)
Lee Hedges	....	dressing prop daily (uncredited)
Mark Hedges	....	dressing prop daily (uncredited)
Shay Leonard	....	props key (uncredited)
Niall Moroney	....	supervising art director: additional photography (uncredited)
Andrew Palmer	....	junior draughtsman (uncredited)
Stuart Read	....	dressing props: dailies, additional photography (uncredited)
Bill Thomas	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Remo Tozzi	....	set designer (uncredited)
Oli van der Vijver	....	props (uncredited)
Peter Woods	....	chargehand dressing prop (uncredited)
Jackie Yau	....	assistant buyer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist (as Pete Burgis)
Danny Crowley	....	boom operator
Andie Derrick	....	foley artist (as Andi Derrick)
Mike Dowson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Fentum	....	foley editor
Paul Govey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Graley	....	foley editor
Charlotte Gray	....	sound assistant
James Harrison	....	sound effects editor
Nigel Heath	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Midgley	....	production sound mixer
Clive Osborne	....	boom operator
Julian Slater	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Stewart	....	adr mixer
Ian Wilkinson	....	adr editor
Ian Wilkinson	....	dialogue editor
Harry Barnes	....	additional foley editor (uncredited)
Antony Bayman	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
John Casali	....	sound mixer: additional shooting (uncredited)
Ed Colyer	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
James Corless	....	sound mix technician (uncredited)
Gary Dodkin	....	boom operator: additional photography (uncredited)
Robert Edwards	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Garry Fiferman	....	sound (uncredited)
Glen Gathard	....	assistant adr & foley mixer (uncredited)
Ashley Haller	....	sound mix technician (uncredited)
Chris Murphy	....	assistant sound: additional photography (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stuart Brisdon	....	special effects supervisor
Joseph Geday	....	special effects technician
Mark Haddenham	....	special effects senior technician
Tez Palmer	....	special effects technician (as Terry Palmer)
Nigel Wilkinson	....	special effects technician
Paul Clancy	....	special effects senior technician (uncredited)
Steve Knowles	....	senior special effects technician (uncredited)
Ian Lowe	....	senior special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor	....	visual effects producer: Moving Picture Company
Jonathan Attenborough	....	visual effects lighting technical director: Moving Picture Company (as Jon Attenborough)
Angela Barson	....	visual effects supervisor: Moving Picture Company
Stuart Bullen	....	compositor: Moving Picture Company
Jon Capleton	....	matchmover: Moving Picture Company
Helen Clare	....	visual effects production coordinator: Moving Picture Company
Michael Elson	....	visual effects executive producer: Moving Picture Company
Martin Hession	....	visual effects modeler: Moving Picture Company
John Leonti	....	cg supervisor: Moving Picture Company
Elliot Newman	....	texture artist: Moving Picture Company
Tony Peck	....	compositor: Moving Picture Company (as Anthony Peck)
Olivier Pron	....	digital matte painter: Moving Picture Company
Ollie Rankin	....	visual effects animator: Moving Picture Company
Steve J. Sanchez	....	compositor: Moving Picture Company (as Steve Sanchez)
Pat Wintersgill	....	on-line editor
Luke Butler	....	roto/prep: MPC (uncredited)
Ben Gillingham-Sutton	....	paint and rotoscope artist (uncredited)
Ryan Hutchings	....	roto/prep artist: MPC (uncredited)
Owen Jones	....	matchmove artist (uncredited)
Begoña Lopez	....	digital lab producer: MPC (uncredited)
Marlin McGlone	....	data operative (uncredited)
David Swift	....	digital matte artist: MPC (uncredited)
Neil Szymanski	....	data operative (uncredited)
Aaron Taylor	....	data operative: MPC (uncredited)
Adam Walker	....	modeller (uncredited)

Stunts
Derek Lea	....	stunts
Tony Lucken	....	stunts
Gerard Naprous	....	stunt coordinator
Andy Butcher	....	horse stunts (uncredited)
Paul Hornsby	....	horse stunts (uncredited)
Paul Hornsby	....	horse wrangler (uncredited)
Lee Sheward	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Mark Clayton	....	gaffer
Russell Diamond	....	dolly grip
Robert Dibble	....	focus puller: second unit
Paul Donachie	....	camera operator
Jason Dully	....	second assistant camera
Russell Ferguson	....	first assistant camera
Ian Franklin	....	rigging gaffer
Dan Garlick	....	second grip
Nicky George	....	second assistant camera
Eugene Grobler	....	rigging lighting technician
Benny Harper	....	best boy electric
Peter Hawkins	....	head of department rigger
Rory Moles	....	HD technician
Tim Morris	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Daniel Nightingale	....	video assist operator
Alastair Rae	....	Steadicam operator
Alastair Rae	....	camera operator
Christopher Raphael	....	additional still photographer
Luke Redgrave	....	camera operator: second unit
Terry Robb	....	electrician
Olly Tellett	....	first assistant camera
David Wall	....	chief rigging electrician
Ian Adrian	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Robert Binnall	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Steve Evans	....	grip (uncredited)
Steve Evans	....	grip: "a" camera, second unit (uncredited)
Steve Evans	....	grip: "c" camera (uncredited)
Mark Hadley	....	assistant camera trainee (uncredited)
Sam Kite	....	key rigging electrician (uncredited)
Glen Milner	....	video playback operator (uncredited)
Barney Piercy	....	camera operator: "c" camera (uncredited)
Barney Piercy	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Snell	....	camera trainee (uncredited)

Casting Department
Anna Cooper	....	casting assistant
Ilenka Jelowicki	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sue Casey	....	costumer
Annie Hadley	....	chief pattern cutter
Helen Ingham	....	costumer
Joe Kowalewski	....	assistant costume supervisor
David Otzen	....	costumer
Debbie Scott	....	assistant costume designer (as Deborah Lynn Scott)
Sunita Singh	....	costumer
Clare Spragge	....	costume supervisor
Vanessa Woolgar	....	wardrobe mistress
Sheara Abrahams	....	costume trainee (uncredited)
David Bethell	....	costume prop (uncredited)
Barbara Brady	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Simon Brindle	....	costume props (uncredited)
Rob Brown	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Melanie Carter	....	costume maker (uncredited)
John Cowell	....	head costume painter (uncredited)
Sally Davis	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Caroline Fallon	....	costume production assistant (uncredited)
Oliver Garcia	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Rose Gardner	....	costume trainee (uncredited)
Vidya Krishnamurthy	....	costume assistant: additional photography (uncredited)
Linda Lashley	....	costumer (uncredited)
Charlotte Law	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Jane Law	....	costumes: Eric Bana and Ana Torent (uncredited)
Rachel Lilley	....	costume trainee (uncredited)
Martin Mandeville	....	costume coordinator (uncredited)
Stephen Miles	....	costume maker (uncredited)
Liannah Pile	....	costume trainee (uncredited)
Lora E. Revitt	....	junior costume assistant (uncredited)
Sharon Robertson	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Jackie Thomas	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Wyn Vaughan-Humphreys	....	costume assistant (uncredited)
Michael Weldon	....	costume assistant: additional photography (uncredited)
Dominic Young	....	costume maker (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Matthew Bristowe	....	digital intermediate supervisor: Moving Picture Company
Hannah Godwin	....	post-production coordinator
Mark Neale	....	first assistant editor
Rob Redford	....	second assistant editor (as Robert Redford)
Ben Renton	....	second assistant editor
Jean-Clement Soret	....	digital colorist: Moving Picture Company
Faye Stevens	....	post-production coordinator
Lorene Dewett	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)
Hanh Nguyen	....	editor trainee (uncredited)

Music Department
Geoff Alexander	....	orchestrator (as Geoffrey Alexander)
Gary Chester	....	score mixer
Matt Dunkley	....	orchestrator
Matt Robertson	....	music pre-production
James Shearman	....	conductor
James Shearman	....	orchestrator
Graham Sutton	....	music editor
Youki Yamamoto	....	music programmer
Paul Cantelon	....	musician (uncredited)
Anne Pope	....	score consultant (uncredited)
Miroslav Vilímec	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gary Birmingham	....	transportation captain
Jimmy Carruthers	....	transportation co-captain (uncredited)
Alan Emanuel	....	unit driver (uncredited)
Lee Isgar	....	driver: Scarlett Johansson (uncredited)
Roy Kirkman	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Sheara Abrahams	....	production assistant
Andy Brunskill	....	assistant: Ms. Owen
Noel Butler	....	etiquette coach
Roisin Carty	....	dialect coach
Francesca Castellano	....	production coordinator
Andrea Coles	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Taryn Cox	....	assistant: Ms. Johansson
Tom Crooke	....	location manager
Caroline Fallon	....	production assistant
Elton Farla	....	medic
Polly Fletcher	....	assistant accountant
Linda Gamble	....	unit publicist
Jen Gasson	....	assistant: Mr. Bana
Jacquie Glanville	....	assistant: Mr. Chadwick
Synnöve Godeseth	....	production assistant
Paul Harris	....	choreographer
Jo Harrop	....	assistant production coordinator: Los Angeles
Katie Heller	....	assistant: Ms. Portman
Emily Hobbs	....	production assistant
Martin Joy	....	location manager
Robert Karn	....	production assistant
Nathan Kelly	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Adam Klaff	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Rowan Laidlaw	....	assistant: Mr. Cooper
Alex Levenson	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Felix Levinson	....	production assistant
Duncan Manning	....	chef
Jill McCullough	....	dialect coach
Sanaz Missaghian	....	assistant production coordinator
Nathan Najor	....	adr loop group
Camilla Naprous	....	assistant horse master
Nathan Naylor	....	loop group coordinator
Emma Owen	....	assistant: Mr. Chadwick
Gill Raddings	....	animal handler
Norman Campbell Rees	....	stand-in: eric banna: reshoots
Lee Robertson	....	assistant location manager
Isaac Sananes	....	assistant accountant
Shruti Shah	....	production controller
Sam Smith	....	production assistant
Jayne Spooner	....	script supervisor
Ashley Tyas	....	title designer: Moving Picture Company
Ben Ward	....	production assistant
Rebecca Wolf	....	assistant accountant
Jack Yiokoumi	....	chef
Lorraine Bagshaw	....	locations runner (uncredited)
Linzi Baltrunas	....	location scout (uncredited)
Samantha Barber	....	script supervisor: second unit (uncredited)
Mona Benjamin	....	production coordinator: additional shooting (uncredited)
Charles Bodycomb	....	armorer (uncredited)
Vicky Chapman	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Rebecca Davis	....	daily location assistant (uncredited)
Gayle Dickie	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Farnaz Donovan	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Isabelle Duvoisin	....	press attache: France (uncredited)
Paul Fischer	....	utility stand-in (uncredited)
Tania Gordon	....	crowd runner: dailies (uncredited)
Tanya Gordon	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Will Haynes	....	runner (uncredited)
Dan Hillsdon	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Jérôme Jouneaux	....	press attache: France (uncredited)
Jennifer Lambert	....	nurse (uncredited)
Jamie Lengyel	....	location manager: additional photography (uncredited)
Sandrine Loisy	....	set production assistant: Dailies (uncredited)
James McGrady	....	floor runner: additional photography (uncredited)
Louise Melzack	....	locations runner (uncredited)
Alex Molden	....	production runner: additional photography (uncredited)
Gerard Naprous	....	horse master (uncredited)
Michael Northern	....	location runner (uncredited)
Finlay Pile	....	assistant location manager: additional photography (uncredited)
Holly Pullinger	....	accommodation coordinator (uncredited)
Matthieu Rey	....	press attache: France (uncredited)
Keleigh Slaight	....	production coordinator: Studio (uncredited)
Kelly Taylor-Dias	....	assistant production coordinator: additional photography (uncredited)
Anna Turner	....	locations runner (uncredited)

Production Companies

• BBC Films
• Focus Features
• Relativity Media
• Ruby Films
• Scott Rudin Productions

Distributors

• Broadmedia Studios (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2008) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch Distribution (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2008) (Chile) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2008) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Discovery Film & Video Distribution (2008) (Croatia) (all media)
• EDKO Film (2008) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Imagem Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2008) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Moving Picture Company (MPC) (visual effects) (as The Moving Pictures Company)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• Ann Koska / Sally King  extras casting
• CNSO Studios  recording studio
• Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra  music performed by
• Deluxe  prints
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• Guild of British Camera Technicians  
• Hackenbacker Audio Post Production  sound post-production
• L. V. T.  subtitles: French version
• Mobile Mouthful  catering
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)  titles and digital grading
• Natural Addiction  craft service
• Panavision UK  Panavision Genesis HD Camera provided by
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services
• Set Meals  catering
• Shepperton Studios  sound re-recorded at
• Soundtrack  ADR facility (as Soundtrack Boston)
• Synxspeed  post-production facilities (foreign dub)
• Synxspeed  sound post-production (foreign dub)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43291) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-7 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:PG-12 | UK:12A | France:U | Argentina:16 | Malaysia:U | Sweden:7 | Peru:14 | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

The love letter than Mary reads to herself says, "My heart and I surrender themselves into your hands." This is an actual quote from the real letter, but the letter was to Anne, not Mary.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Details of some historical characters and events have been changed to fit the dramatic narrative.

Quotes:

King Henry VIII: May God have mercy on Anne's soul.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-03-01)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Westron Wynde

Satisfying and entertaining, but it promised so much more

The Tudors are very chic at the moment. If it isn't "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (awful) or the television series, "The Tudors" (soft-pornographic trash), then it is "The Other Boleyn Girl", the latest film written by the Oscar nominated screenwriter, Peter Morgan. After his work on the Golden Globe winning TV film "Longford" and the Oscar winning (for its lead actors) "The Queen" and "The Last King of Scotland", his scripts must be in demand by actors across the globe. Little wonder then that this film attracts a stellar cast, including Eric Bana, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman. So, why is it that this film, which is filled with great talent and potential, delivers only satisfaction? This was originally slated for release late last year, right in the middle of the awards season. Yet, for some reason, it was moved back. Why this was done is not widely known, but, as the IMDb had the film listed as completed last autumn, I should think that the decision was taken that this film would draw more attention outside of the congested awards season. Watching the film, you are aware of the ambition and lavish costumes that would draw the gaze of Oscar. But the film lacks punch, depth and the power to grip you the whole way through.

That's not to say that it isn't entertaining. Far from it, the film is, for an hour and a quarter, perfectly pleasant, with intrigue, scheming and romance aplenty. A lot of the credit must go to the performances, which range from accomplished to fantastically enjoyable to watch. Natalie Portman is impressive as Anne Boleyn. She ranges from scheming and nasty to genuinely sympathetic. It is her most notable work to date. Scarlett Johansson is fine, but everybody is still waiting for her to realise the potential she showed when she announced herself on the scene in "Lost in Translation" and "The Girl with the Pearl Earring". The supporting cast are a joy to watch. Eric Bana is excellent as Henry VIII, but it is the schemers in the background who provide the best entertainment. David Morrissey is having a lot of fun, whilst Mark Rylance and Kristin Scott Thomas are great as the Boleyn parents.

It is a perfectly bearable watch, but unfulfilling. There's an awful lot crammed into the hour and fifty minutes. As year after year of history is skipped through, the film's focus continually shifts, failing to allow certain characters from gaining appropriate intensity. Henry VIII is not as proactive as he might, or should, be. He is more driven then driving, whilst his first wife, Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent), is given very little time on screen, thus sidelining a character which should be a figure of great interest. But your expectations are dashed mainly because the film reaches its climax with half-an-hour to go, with an emotional pinnacle being reached and never again surpassed. A rape scene, which seems to be the start of the culmination, with so many points of interest going on in it, proves to be the end of it. The last thirty minutes, whilst quite stylish, are drawn out and slow, and end with a final scene that can only be described as cheesy.

It's a shame that this film is nothing more than admirable in places. But it is a good film for this time of year (that springtime lull between the quality of Winter and the bombast entertainment of Summer). It is an entertaining and satisfying way to pass an afternoon, but it won't live long in the memory.