Movie Review- The Other Boleyn Girl

Last night I went with my movie club (Sheila) to see the Other Boleyn Girl. Let me start out by saying I love love love this book- some may say I am obsessed with it. I have analyzed it to death in both of my bookclubs. I am also obsessed with Tudor England in general. So when the Tudors came on television I was thrilled because I wanted to see their interpretation. Even with all of the historical inaccuracies I loved it. For weeks I've been excited to see this movie...and now I have and...

I.hated.it.

Hated.it.

SOOOO DISAPPOINTED!!

If you haven't read the movie and like a historical movie then by all means go see this. It is well acted, the scenery is gorgeous and the costumes are amazing. However, and this is a big however, do NOT take this is fact. And do NOT think that this represents Philippa Gregory's amazing novel.

Because it does not.

The writer was handed this amazing book with intrigue, drama, sex, beheading, royalty- all of those fantastic elements which make a book for me. And instead- they watered it all down to appeal to a 21st century minivan majority sentimentality. And I am not the minivan majority.

Yes, I know the book was not completely historically accurate- you never know exact conversations obviously. But Philippa Gregory is a historian who weaves her story into the historical record. And the writers here crapped all over it and disregarded all of the wonderful elements she included in her book. I will now discuss why I disliked the movie- if you don't want me to "ruin" the movie for you stop reading. However, it is a movie based on Anne Boleyn and if you don't know the story- please do not play on my trivia team in the future.

First- the Boleyn's were NOT country folk. They were courtiers- fact. Mary and Anne were raised in the French court- not the countryside. Their parents were schemers- they did not raise them. The aristocracy did not raise their children- the ridiculous caring mother in this movie was unbearable. Rumor has it the mother was also a mistress of Henry the eighth- not some moral figurehead. And the father being portrayed as a bumblind idiot- again, this man was a courtier. He was conniving and manipulative- like the rest of them! That was their job!!

Next- ALL historical records portray Catherine of Aragon as a classy pious woman- she would not have called anyone a whore

And George...the beautiful flamboyant George. Where was he?!!? All we got was some whinny side character who didn't want to sleep with his sister- where was my closet gay having wild orgies with the other men of the court?! Where was my incest?!?! This was supposed to be history told through porn!!

Then there was the editing- we had to endure about 20 minutes of Mary's pregnancy and how awful confinement was and how hard her labour was....but then they spent less than 10 seconds covering the 6 year trial to end Henry's marriage to Catherine and for him to create the church of england...it was all completely glossed over- we hardly saw any of it!! And the influence of Anne during this is one of the most historically significant parts!!

The story was supposed to be told through the eyes of Mary- instead it went back and forth- it was like the director didn't know who to focus on. Anne became the main character- which is all fine and good except the title of the story is the Other Boleyn Girl- meaning Mary.

And finally- William Stafford. My beautiful William Stafford- where the hell was he?!?! The proud manly man who save Mary?!?! They cast some snivelling weasly guy who ALWAYS plays the weak character (see the Tudors, Elizabeth). They didn't show their story at all- it was not explained and explored. ACH!!!

SO in the end- if you have not read the book or are not completely anal go see this. Natalie Portman was actually fantastic. But if you loved the book they ruined it- it was all changed. I really want to see the BBC miniseries because I hear that is truer to the book.

So disappointing.