Intrigue and romance

Starring: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana
Directed by: Justin Chadwick

The Tudors are very chic at the moment. If it isn't Elizabeth: The Golden Age or the television series, The Tudors, then it is The Other Boleyn Girl, the latest film written by Oscar nominated screenwriter, Peter Morgan.

After his work on the Golden Globe winning TV film Longford and the Oscar winning (for its lead actors) The Queen and The Last King of Scotland, his scripts must be in demand by actors across the globe. Little wonder then that his venture attracted a stellar cast, including Eric Bana, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman. So, why is it that this film, which is filled with great talent and potential, delivers only satisfaction? Watching the film, you are aware of the ambition and lavish costumes that would draw the gaze of the Oscars and I loved it.

The film is, an hour and a quarter, of intrigue, scheming and romance aplenty. Much of the credit must go to the performances, which range from accomplished to fantastically enjoyable to watch. Natalie Portman is impressive as Anne Boleyn where she ranges from scheming and nasty to genuinely sympathetic. It is her most notable work to date. Scarlett Johansson is fine, but everybody is still waiting for her to realise the potential she showed when she made her entry on celluloid in Lost in Translation and The Girl with the Pearl Earring. The supporting cast, were a joy to watch. Eric Bana is excellent as Henry VIII, but it is the schemers in the background who provide the best entertainment. David Morrissey seems to be having a lot of fun, whilst Mark Rylance and Kristin Scott Thomas are great as the Boleyn parents.

The biggest problem with the movie is that there is an awful lot crammed into that space of an hour and fifty minutes. Henry VIII is not as proactive as he might, or should, be. He is more driven then driving, whilst his first wife, Catherine of Aragon (Ana Torrent), is given very little time on screen, thus sidelining a character which should have been a figure of great interest and very high historical importance. But your expectations are dashed mainly because the film reaches its climax with half-an-hour to go, with an emotional pinnacle being reached and never again surpassed.

I personally think Phillipa Gregory the writer did a very good job in bringing this forgotten story to light. To give you a brief synopsis the movie centres around the relationships and entanglements of the three Boleyn children, introduced to King Henry's court at an impressionable age. The two sisters fall in love with the two sides of King Henry and their brother falls for the charms of court as a result of his scheming father and uncle. The movie speaks volumes for Anne's and Mary's love for each other and for that of power, something of primary importance in court.

The performances are superb, but unfortunately minimal considering the time span. I have a gut feeling it would have fared better as a two part series! But all in all, this is a movie worth watching.

He said / She said: We're sisters and therefore born to be rivals.
Watch it if you liked: Elizabeth
Movie Hall of Fame: Yes
Tagline: The only thing that could come between these sisters... is a kingdom.

"What will it sound like when you die", "Who will be next to get the call" -- yeah I could really use one these days, you may think. Well, I felt that way too, but this horror movie never really made its mark.

Betthany Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) also known as Beth is just an ordinary teenager who lives down the street. She has a gang of four friends, four unlucky friends who reach the mouth of hell (okay that's not scary!).

Each friend gets a chilling phone call – actually from themselves in the future, showing up the exact time of their deaths. It's sort of like predicting the future through a phone call. When Beth tries to explain the situation to the police, they ignore her. That is everyone except Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns).

Together Beth and Jack begin to unravel the connection of the mysterious caller who is not exactly a human being, but then Beth's phone starts to ring with the same heart-beating tone – the ring tone of death.

Based on the remake of the Japanese movie Chakushin ari (which means 'the ring tone of death'), the film earned a full-time budget of 20 million dollars.

However this movie can't match The Exorcist or The Omen which is the main reason it has been disregarded by many horror fans. The special effects were superb though, and it is worth watching if you are bored on a Friday afternoon, expecting a call...

Intrigue and romance - Film Review