Ravishing frocks and heaving bosoms are the main constituents of The Other Boleyn Girl, an entertaining bodice ripper lightly disguised as historical fiction.
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03/07/08
The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
41
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:135
Fresh:56
Rotten:79
Average Rating:5.3/10
Consensus: Though it features some extravagant and entertaining moments, The Other Boleyn Girl feels more like a soap opera than historical drama.
Theatrical Release:07-03-2008
Synopsis: Based on the best selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in... [More]
Reviews for The Other Boleyn Girl
Top CriticIt is absurd yet enjoyable, and playing fast and loose with English history is a refreshing alternative to slow and tight solemnity; the effect is genial, even mildly subversive.
03/07/08
Top CriticWhy in the name of ermine boleros would anyone make such a dull, coy and, worst of all, pretty film about Anne Boleyn?
03/07/08
Top CriticUltimately we are meant to eat chocolates, admire their trembling lower lips, and choose sides.
03/07/08
Top CriticThere are moments when you can see how terrific this film could have been
03/21/08
A rather titillating take on a racy historical novel, this is perhaps too ambitious in intent. More time, or more pruning (perhaps they should just have focused on The Boleyn girl), would have produced a richer and more enjoyable film.
03/07/08
Top CriticWith only one member of its love triangle really delivering, this packs less of an emotional punch than it ought. And who'd be a courtier, eh?
03/07/08
Top CriticWorthy of thine attention? Corset is.
03/07/08
The Other Boleyn Girl turns British history into a chick flick soaper with high production values and A-list actors.
03/01/08
Well done and beautifully produced. Satisfactorily explains the incest charge against Anne Boleyn.
02/28/08
Director Justin Chadwick... seems to have suddenly woken up behind the camera, with no idea of how he got there or what kind of film this is.
02/29/08
Dialogue focuses only on how characters relate to each other. A game of love, lust, power, manipulation. Nothing more aside from their rather single-minded aims.
02/28/08
Not much of a visual epic maybe, but an absorbing, exciting costume drama that works as a historical romance, a family tragedy and a showcase for its young stars.
02/28/08
There isn't an enjoyable character in the bunch of this tragedy that constantly spirals downward.
03/04/08
It's just another pointlessly dressed-up take on a story that's already plenty overdressed.
02/28/08
Shot in high definition and filmed at many historic locations, the film somehow still lacks the splendor of an epic.
02/19/08
Top CriticAn entertainingly sudsy trip through early 16th century English history.
02/29/08
The film's seduction is all too obvious to ravish anyone.
02/29/08
The movie makes history downright thrilling, and it may very well prompt viewers to pick up a book and learn more.
02/29/08
The worst thing? It's all hysterical and histrionic, and yet completely dull. I'm not certain how one manages that.
03/06/08
Latest News for The Other Boleyn Girl
August 23, 2008:
Iconoclast.com: An all in the dysfunctional family royal romp with incestuous tendencies, this richly textured, dramatically disciplined, erotically laced and emotionally taut creation makes for weirdly kinky historical analysis. 
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June 18, 2008:
An all in the dysfunctional family royal romp with incestuous tendencies, this richly textured, dramatically disciplined, erotically laced and emotionally taut creation makes for weirdly kinky historical analysis, but pretty steamy pre-tabloid melodrama.
More...
June 09, 2008:
RT on DVD: Bosomy Boleyn Girls, Jumper, John Adams
As the latest wave of Obamamania sweeps the country, look forward to HBO's Recount...or peek into the past with HBO's John Adams. Also clear your calendar for high-def Top... More...
June 05, 2008:
Another Boleyn Girl On the Way?
Despite lukewarm reviews and middling box-office receipts, rumor has it that work has begun on a sequel to The Other Boleyn Girl. More...
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