Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson keep their heads in 'Boleyn'

BERLIN (Hollywood Reporter) - Anne Boleyn may have married Henry VIII, but her sister Mary in would have been his queen if only she had been better at making babies.

That, of course, was always the problem. The Tudor line's grip on the throne invariably was threatened by the lack of a son, even though it would be daughter Elizabeth who reigned in the nation's golden age.

In Justin Chadwick's handsome but glum film, "The Other Boleyn Girl," based on the novel by Philippa Gregory, the focus is on Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) as their father, Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance), and uncle, the Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey), conspire for one of them to win the king's fancy while their mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) looks on in disgust.

Shot in high definition and filmed at many historical locations, the film somehow still lacks the splendor of an epic, and its urgency to get on with the next plot point leaves much unexplained while context goes out the window. Good performances by the female leads and all the appurtenances and costumes of the time might attract fans of period movies, but there's not enough flash and fire to grab the attention of a wider audience.

Already given screen treatment in a 2003 BBC TV film, "Boleyn Girl" here gets a bigger budget, big-name stars and a script by Peter Morgan ("The Queen").

Morgan already had a go at this particular monarch for Granada Television in 2003 with "Henry VIII," starring Ray Winstone, and he's back presumably attracted by the opportunity to write for two dynamic actresses playing competing sisters.

His script lacks punch, however. Portman and Johansson are more than equal to the demands, but with a tougher-minded script they might have soared. Portman comes to grips with the sharpest lines, but she could have done so much more. Johansson's character grows the most in the film, and once again the star dazzles with her versatility.

Eric Bana as the king offers little help. Such is his lack of screen presence that the Australian film star virtually disappears whenever Portman, Johansson or Scott Thomas makes an appearance.

History is smoothed out for the story -- Mary actually was 12 when she married her first husband, who was 24 -- and some key figures are omitted, including Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Thomas More.

The Duke of Norfolk becomes the main villain of the piece, ruthlessly determined to place one or the other of his brother-in-law's pretty daughters into the king's bed in order to enrich the family. Scott Thomas' mother registers her disdain for the proceedings more with her powerful gaze than any pungency in the lines of dialogue. Ana Torrent makes a strong impression too as the dismayed and discarded Queen Katharine of Aragon.

Although the various homes and castles are lovely to see, the story feels rushed, a feeling made worse by the director cutting every couple of scenes to somebody on horseback riding furiously through woods or water. Like the film, it's not always clear why.

Cast:

Anne Boleyn: Natalie Portman

Mary Boleyn: Scarlett Johansson

King Henry VIII: Eric Bana

Duke of Norfolk: David Morrissey

Lady Elizabeth Boleyn: Kristin Scott Thomas

Sir Thomas Boleyn: Mark Rylance

George Boyleyn: Jim Sturgess

Katharine of Aragon: Ana Torrent

William Stafford: Eddie Redmayne

William Carey: Benedict Cumberbatch

Henry Percy: Oliver Coleman

Jane Parker: Juno Temple

Director Justin Chadwick; Screenwriter: Peter Morgan; Producer: Alison Owen; Executive producers: Scott Rudin, David M. Thompson; Director of photography: Kieran McGuigan; Production designer: John-Paul Kelly; Music: Paul Cantelon; Costume designer: Sandy Powell; Co-producer: Mark Cooper; Editors: Paul Knight, Carol Littleton.