THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL
RYAN: “The Other Boleyn Girl” is basically a prequel to “Elizabeth” starring Cate Blanchett.
CAROLINE: Yes, it ends at the point that the first “Elizabeth” picks up. I found “The Other Boleyn Girl” kind of slow.
RYAN: I figured that out when during the movie you asked me if I was wearing a watch.
CAROLINE: I was trying to see how much time was left. It seemed quite long.
RYAN: I found it brooding, dramatic and really good. I loved the rivalry and bitchiness between Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman.
CAROLINE: One thing I really didn’t get is how Scarlett Johansson is supposed to be the ugly sister. In what world is she ever going to be ugly? Even though Natalie is pretty, I think Scarlett is way prettier.
RYAN: Totally, and the only thing they did to uglify her was make her eyebrows really blond.
CAROLINE: The costumes were great though, and the scenery was very pretty. Most of the scenes were so dark though. Literally. I could hardly see anything. Then whenever a scene had a teeny bit of sunshine, I was like, “Oh, my eyes!”
RYAN: Thematically it’s very dark too. It’s almost frightening. Kristin Scott Thomas scared the crap out of me a few times.
CAROLINE: She’s great in the few scenes she has. She has high drama. There’s a plethora of British actors in this movie, including Jim Sturgess from “Across the Universe” as the girls’ brother. And I thought Scarlett and Natalie held their own British accent-wise.
RYAN: This is definitely one of the better acting performances we’ve seen from Natalie. The movie is lush and beautifully shot. And Eric Bana is hot.
CAROLINE: That he is, though I didn’t love his beard. I just didn’t think this movie had much heart. I never felt emotionally involved. I appreciated it on some levels, but ultimately it didn’t deliver for me.
RYAN: It’s based on a series of very popular books, which I almost want to read now. It’s very dramatic and has some great twists and turns, so I can only imagine how exciting the books must be.
CAROLINE: Though Natalie’s acting definitely wasn’t as atrocious in this movie as it has been in others, her acting at the end was horrendous. We all know what happens to Anne Boleyn, right? Her fake hand trembling and fear were painful to watch. Almost as bad as she was at the end of “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.”
RYAN: Ugh, nothing could be that bad. Bottom line?
CAROLINE: This is not a must-see in the theater. I thought it had some beautiful scenes, and I enjoyed seeing Nat Po and Scar Jo together onscreen, but other than that, I wasn’t riveted.
RYAN: I really enjoyed it and was entertained, but I agree that it’s not a must-see on the big screen. It could be a rental.
CAROLINE: It would be a good movie to see on the plane.