The Other Boleyn Girl looks better naked

Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, and Scarlett Johansson star in the period film The Other Boleyn Girl, a movie that has more ambition than Belinda Stronach. But despite the A-list cast, it ultimately comes across as a shoddily-edited bimbo of a flick—nice to look at but lacking any real content.
If viewers unaware of the Boleyn/Henry historical saga are looking to follow along with the movie, they might be completely dumbfounded; the editing is so poorly done that one minute Queen Catherine is on the throne and the next she disappears for good. (Historians, too, may get lost—Showtime’s drama The Tudors has far more accuracy than Boleyn Girl.)
Besides the editing, the camera work is also horrible. Perhaps the director was trying to add to the scandalous nature of the movie by filming from behind columns and through drapes, or perhaps he was just trying to be unconventional, but either way, the strange angles and obstacles in front of the camera just distract the audience.
The incredible costume design goes a long way toward redeeming the film—but even it is tarnished by the confusing editing. The Boleyn sisters sometimes wear the same outfit for days in a row, and they get to wear much fancier clothes than the other ladies-in-waiting. It all seems a bit random. One could argue that in Medieval Times women rarely washed and didn’t possess infinite wardrobes, but when the only amazing feature of a movie is glaringly inconsistent, it feels sloppy.
Bana plays a reluctant King Henry VIII, and halfway through the movie he seems to lose interest in his role completely, perhaps realizing the poor calibre of the film he is starring in. One glaring omission from the scenes is Bana without clothes. While there are short flashes of his hot, hairy man-chest, the glimpses are brief and unsatisfying; the other male cast members are definitely not gawk-worthy, so the lack of a nude king helps to sink the film.
Portman and Johansson, however, do a good job of bringing the pretty, but Johansson plays a flaky, spineless Mary Boleyn almost too well. Her performance is half-hearted, and at times it is embarrassing to watch her spit out her fake English accent. On the other hand Portman, as ambitious social climber Anne Boleyn, struts her refined acting chops as usual. But, it is interesting to watch her wear a corset and try to squish boobs out of her mammary inadequacies.
If viewers want to see a film with boring actors, frolicking children in fields of golden wheat, predictable dialogue, and a fully clothed Eric Bana, then The Other Boleyn Girl is not one to miss. Otherwise, would-be audiences can save their $11 and buy a sheet of glass to chew on––which they will probably enjoy more.