The Other Boleyn Girl

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The Other Boleyn Girl

PG-13

2008

1h 55m

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

43%

Tomatometer

146 Reviews

62%

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100,000+ Ratings

King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) lacks an heir. Seeing this as an opportunity for personal gain, the Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey) and Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance) persuade Thomas' daughter Anne (Natalie Portman) to seduce the king. But Henry falls in love with Anne's sister, Mary (Scarlett Johansson), instead. When Mary becomes pregnant, she's confined to bed, with charged with Anne keeping the king from straying -- but the plan backfires when Anne seeks the king's affections for herself.

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Critics Consensus

Though it features some extravagant and entertaining moments, The Other Boleyn Girl feels more like a soap opera than historical drama.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

A hoot.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 9, 2021

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

This is cliché heaped on cliché and hopelessly artificial.

Aug 23, 2018

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David Ansen

Newsweek

... loses steam when the catfighting abruptly gives way to grim realpolitik.

Feb 1, 2018

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Martin Tsai

New York Sun

The film is marginally enjoyable in that sort of sleazy Jerry Springer fashion, but the filmmakers aren’t making a compelling case here for why their artistic license is necessarily more amusing or insightful than history itself.

Apr 21, 2023

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The concept of despicable people doing contemptible things never really leads to solid entertainment.

Rated: 3/10

Nov 28, 2020

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Largely carried by Portman's stellar performance.

Rated: 2.5/4.0

Sep 19, 2020

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Daniel M

I definitely never expected to like this movie as much as I did. Amazing performances by Johansson and Portman with a really good cast as well. Probably one of the most messed up and tragic love stories I’ve ever seen.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/01/25

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David D

A regularly told tale. Here it is told well with a great cast delivering performances that are trying to keep pace given the squeezing of so much into such a relatively short time frame. Yes, it takes liberties with the original story...but how else do you retell. Certainly worth a watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

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binta s

Very good acting from both Portman and Johanssen. An overall good watch. No periodically sound but the execution was very good

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

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Mons G

Says "costume drama" on the label but comes across as a histo-exploitation thriller. Some of the actors, e.g. Rylance, Johansson and Scott-Thomas provide a modicum of quality and the set designs are uniformly excellent but it's all dragged down by some weak acting (Portman, Bana) and join-the-dots historical narrative. This has an all-star cast but few star performances.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

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Giovana L

Chato pra caramba,pelo menos todos tiveram consequências de suas ações estúpidas.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/25

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Alain E

Apparently I just appreciated a soap opera. Thank you wise ones! Seeing how many crappy movies get 3 and 4 stars, the organized attack against this film is quite intriguing. It is available on Tubi for nothing, so if you agree it’s not worth it, you just go back and watch something else. Acting, especially by Portman and Johansson is of the first order, without any elements of melodrama. Color photography and the framing are superb. Every scene looks like it originated in an oil painting from a few centuries ago. Totally enjoyable!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/04/24

Full Review

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Justin Chadwick

Director

Natalie Portman

Anne Boleyn

Scarlett Johansson

Mary Boleyn

Eric Bana

King Henry VIII

Kristin Scott Thomas

Lady Elizabeth

Mark Rylance

Sir Thomas Boleyn

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53%

70%

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Synopsis

King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) lacks an heir. Seeing this as an opportunity for personal gain, the Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey) and Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance) persuade Thomas' daughter Anne (Natalie Portman) to seduce the king. But Henry falls in love with Anne's sister, Mary (Scarlett Johansson), instead. When Mary becomes pregnant, she's confined to bed, with charged with Anne keeping the king from straying -- but the plan backfires when Anne seeks the king's affections for herself.

Director: Justin Chadwick
Producer: Alison Owen
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Columbia Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Mature Thematic Elements|Some Violent Images)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 29, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.8M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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