I'm glad others take Alison Weir with caution.  I haven't been a huge fan of her and I bought The Lady In The Tower with some trepidation and a lot of Post-It flags!  I think I flagged almost every page of things I had questions on and areas where I felt she was incorrect.  It seems to me in some places she dismisses Chapuys as too gossipy but at the same time, if he was critical of Anne then she pretty much stated there was probably truth in it!  She did bring up some other sources and did give detail on the men accused with Anne but the fact that she says so many off things about AB, I wonder how much you can take her word in the rest.  I am reading Eric Ives now.  I've been concentrating more on the Plantagent history and I'm just now getting more into the Tudors–and yes, alot of that has to do with The Tudors!  My daughter has watched it too and questions what is real and isn't so we've both picked up a number of books!

I have to admit that before I watched the tudors series I kinda liked the other boleyn girl not for its historical facts(orlack thereof) but the way Henry VIII treated Mary Boleyn as he treated anumber of his Mistress. Having said this after watching the tudors I am really leaning towards it being more historically correct, but there is one thing that bothers me Why in the Tudors do they not show Cardinal Wolsey and Lord Henry Percy together ? Why do they leave the fact that Cardinal Wolsey is the one who broke the bethrothal between the Lady Anne and Henry Percy? Its said to be the reason for her spite against Wosley and yet in the series they blame it on him calling her a “Silly girl” Can someone please help? I know I cannot be the only one who saw this!

Don't get me wrong I think Eric Bana portrays an excellent Henry VIII but the love affair between him and Natalie portman could have been a lil more passionate instead of soo violent . I still watch The Other Boleyn Girl I also have it on DVD and usually watch it when it comes on the movie channels but then when I watched the Tudors I just thought that Natalie Dormer and JRM make the love between Anne and Henry more real to me Its true given a better script I think Natalie Portman would have been an excellent Anne so I definitely agree with you on that one. I still think Henry Percy is a important figure when it comes to Anne Boleyn because it is her reasons for hating Wolsey so much (well at least one of them) and I really think they should have made some mention of it in the Tudors series.I understand their need to get on with the story but Anne takes up half of the first season and all of the second season I don't think a little mention of Henry Percy in one of the earlier episodes would have hurt.

I thought the movie was horrible and I didn't care that much for the book either.  Although I liked it better than the movie.

I agree with all the points that have been brought up. The timing of events was all wrong.  I have never read that Anne was raped by Henry.  Where was the love Henry and Anne shared?  Where was Percy?  Where was Cromwell?  Actually, where was our Anne?

It's been a while since I've seen the movie but I think this was the movie that had Mary attending the execution.  She was standing in front waiting for the pardon for Anne that Henry had promised her.  It was dramatic, but not true.  Once Mary was banned from court by her family for marrying Will Stafford, she never saw Anne or George alive again.  I know, I know, poetic license and all but geez.

I am a fan of Mary's.  I do not believe she was portrayed well.  Mary was a much happier, carefree person than one is led to believe in the movie.

The one thing I did like, however, was Anne's exhaustion.  I would have liked to have seen a more in depth story about how Anne was tired of fighting, and how scared she might have been of losing Henry's affection.  I think she was being pushed and pulled in all directions by people who had their own agendas and had little regard for Anne at all.  That part of the movie, was interesting…and then it was gone.   A missed opportunity.

I am not sure if anyone mentioned this, but the screen writer for The Other Boleyn Girl was Peter Morgan. In 2003, he wrote the screenplay for the tv miniseries, Henry VIII with Ray Winstone as Henry and Helen Bonham-Carter as Anne. If you want The Other Boleyn Girl and Henry VIII is succession, you will note Morgan re-used a lot of his material for TOBG.

The infamous rape scene from TOBG, which was totally unnecessairy, also happens in Henry VIII. I am not sure if Peter Morgan ran out of material for TOBG, or he did not care to actually take the time to write an intelligent and exciting script. The story of Henry, Mary, and Anne is intersting enough without diluting the material into a melodramtic soap opera. Peter Morgan went on to write fabuolous screeplays for The Last King of Scotland (Forrest Whitacre won an Oscar), The Queen (Helen Mirren won an Oscar), and Frost/Nixon (also Oscar nominated).

I love Philippa Gregory's novel, despite her blantant attempts to make Anne into a scheming and manevolent women. The biggest issue is her use of Retha Warnick's book, which I am now reading. However, Greogry's book, as it stands, would have been a great screenplay; only if they had a screewriter who really cared about the book and the characters.

Natalie Portman was beautiful as Anne. She portrayed Anne with passion, but the limitations of the script and material  given mediated any real attempt to portray Anne as the couragous and intelliegnt women we all know she was.

DuchessofBrittany, I've seen both those movies and noticed the similarities and was wondering if I was crazy!  That seems a bit unprofessional to me.

Claire, I totally agree!  I mean of course Anne had her flaws like everyone else, but I really wish someone would tackle an un-glamourized version of Anne.  Also, I know this sounds close-minded, but I have never understood how Philippa Gregory could hate Anne.  I mean she obviously does, but why?  Maybe I just think this because I love her so much.

I know this post has been long forgotten but I wanted to share my opinion.First of all,a question since I haven’t read the novel?Am I right into thinking that the book is a lot messier and mean to Anne than the movie?

I have noticed too the similarities between the two movies(of all the things he could copy,he copied the rape?If they did it in order to emphasize the drama,it didn’t work).I wish he could copy H.Percy.One of my favorite Tudor characters is Henry Percy,because he was trully in love with Anne.In Henry VIII,he comes across as a naive man that Anne kind of uses at first but later respects.In her trial,it seemed like he was forced to find her guilty and uppon saying so,he faints(that is a true fact).In the Other Boleyn Girl,they have this handsome guy,Oliver Coleman,who Anne seems to like.They get married in secret(what?does Greggory say that too?So according to her book,both Anne and Henry are bigamists)but the young Duke(the real Henry Percy was not a Duke,but that’s the least)leaves her on their first problem as a couple(Poor Anne,Portman looks so heartbroken and disappointed that at least,I understood why she became a pain in the a..s for the rest of the movie)and during her trial,where once again he finds her guilty but this time he says  so coldly(once again Portman-Anne seems pained and heartbroken).I think in this movie,Anne’s love was Henry Percy(that’s why she turns against Mary at first)but like the …Other Henry Boy,he braks her heart and lets her down.

Now,onto the movie’s review.Alright(deep breath),the truth is,please don’t throw bottles on me,that I kind of like this movie.Not a favorite but still I enjoy certaain aspects of it.Maybe I didn’t care much because I knew who Anne was before and didn’t wait for it to affect my opinion of her.It is not the best movie to find about AAnne since it is based on Gregory’s intolerant views.

THE GOOD:

Natalie Portman:Notice,I don’t say Portman as Anne,I say Portman.Natalie is a good actress,who as I have said in other posts had the potential of a great Anne.Visually she fits every temporary description of Anne(small build,thin,not so curvy,olive skin,long dark hair,big dark eyes,a pretty face,intelligence,is beautifull in a simple and gracefull way).I love her costumes to death and actually they help to show her development.She owns the French hood(sorry Scarlett).Now acting wise?There were scenes that if they are shown separately from the movie they would have been great.Portman manages to take this stupid caricature of a character,give it flesh and make justice to the namesake of her role(Gregory’s Anne shares only a name with the real Anne).Minus some stupidly written scenes Portman’s comes across as a very emotionally challenged character.Her great scenes are:The trial scene,Elizabeth’s birth(she looksat  the baby with such an adoration and bitterness because she knows Henry will think of her as a failure),her ravings against Jane Seymour,her nervous breakdown(the scene where she claims that she’s exhausted trying to maintain her image and keep Henry),her miscarriage(I loved the way she says “I couldn’t keep it!It left as if it never was”),her coronation(my all time favorite Anne’s coronation!I love the music,the cathedral in the background,her face,even the identical to Elizabeth’s coronation robes,nice touch.

Ana Torrent:Great great KoA!I love how she comes across as fiesty and proud and not so martyrish like other versions

Scenery,photography:It is great in the eye!The palette,the scenery,the castles,the way it is filmed

Costumes:GREAT!Faithfull to the Tudor era but in a modern appeal!I was a little disappointed with the jewelery but the costumes and headwear make me forget it

The girl playing Jane Seymour:Sorry but I can’t recall her name.She didn’t have any line but she looks like Jane stepped out of the portrait.She wears an identicall outfit and even through she is very pretty she reminds you Jane immediately!

THE BAD:

Scarlett:Actually it’s not her fault but people!She plays Mary-freaking-Boleyn.And even through her Masr appears as the milky maiden,please,she is still the beuty Boleyn!Let Scarlett shine!Let her show a bit more charm,sex-appeal

Anne:Yes,I know Anne,your character is not your fault,it is Gregory’s fault.Please,try being a little more seductive!Look at Dormer!That’s good girl.Although it seems that your Henry’s fling are bossy women.Also,I know through history you were not Mother Theresa but neither you were Lucrezia Borgia(although she may not have been that bad,she is infamous).Where is the flirty,dancing and artistic Anne?With two comments you can pass your self as a reformer?I know you were ambitious but not like that!And yes,you were bad-tempered and nasty when you needed to be(and I love you like that)but please,your greatest enemy is not Mary.And don’t cry at your execution,the real Anne didn’t.Also real Anne may have made mistakes but not stupidities

George:I love him and liked him more than his portrayal in Tudors.I just wish he wasn’t just the good-hearted brother but a more challenging character,to match with Anne.I wouldn’t care if they show him gay(they didn’t although in the book he was)ecause that would mean that they would show more of him and as courtier,a poet etc

AND THE UGLY:

The plott:Why there are two movie versions of this book?There should have been none!It is the beginning of the evil this plott.In this plot,no one survives!Forget history and Anne.Both sisters luck common sense and the Boleyn charm.Everything is upon the actors.A

Script:One of the easiests ways to have a costume drama all juicy and interesting is to take Henry VIII and his six wives,or Henry and his second wife(who is the most known and infamous of the big happy of Henry).How this movie manages to make the fansinating lives of the Boleyn girls boring is strange

Henry:Actually in 75% of movies I dislike Henry due to his shallow motives and inconstant behaviour,which changes with every wife.But this one,he’s the worst.The only thing I liked was his dramatic and permanent pass to madness and paranoia.He starts as the golden king always bathed in sunlight to end up paranoid,always in the shadows.The romantic in me wants this trasformation happening because of Anne

Romance:It’s official.In this movie Anne and Henry hate each other.No harbouring love,no meeting of minds(actually,that is never shown,usually their relationships is shown as great until they slept together,yep,that is,seven years it was all about that).They both used and abused each other in order to achieve their goals

OVERALL:It is a good movie but bad history!Watch it only if you know the real story,you are tolerant in liberties taken,enjoy a good costume drama and already have readen the book(which translates in:you have already seen the worst to come!)

(sorry for any mistakes and that my post is huge)

Sharon said:

Anne, have you ever considered a career as a movie critic?…LOL  You covered it all!

You think so???Oh,thank you…But the truth is that sometimes I get too emotional about a movie,which makes me kind of biased in my opinion of it

I’m glad you liked my review