MANILA, Philippines?It?s been almost 500 years since Henry VIII and his ill-fated wives trod the earth, but Hollywood still can?t seem to get enough of the Tudors. The most recent cinematic foray into the era of brocade bodices and Tower of London beheadings is ?The Other Boleyn Girl,? a film adaptation by the best-selling novel of the same title by Philippa Gregory.

Both the novel and the movie are a loose?historians would say very loose?retelling of the tale of two sisters: The most famous of Henry VIII?s beheaded wives, Anne Boleyn, and her sister, Mary, who are both driven by the ambitions of their father and uncle. They become the king?s mistresses, competing with each other and getting mired in the intrigues of a Renaissance court. It doesn?t end well for either of them, though Mary at least gets to keep her head in the end.

Artistic license

Many parts of the story are based on events that are actually known to have happened. Anne did have a sister who was a mistress of the king, their family was really quite ambitious, and Anne probably did play a role behind the king?s?and England?s?break from the Roman Catholic Church. However, historical accuracy isn?t an important consideration for the movie. Much artistic license is taken to make the story more dramatic.

Starring Natalie Portman as Anne, Scarlett Johansson as Mary, and Eric Bana as King Henry VIII, the film is directed by Justin Chadwick from a screenplay by Peter Morgan. With such big names, it?s not unreasonable to expect great things from it.

The film falls short of being great, however. Despite the lush colors and dramatic chiaroscuro of its cinematography, the gorgeous costuming and the themes of love, ambition and betrayal, the production fails to engage beyond a certain level. In fact, watching it is like watching an episode on a TV series, but with better actors and props.

Disjointed feel

Chadwick?s movie has a disjointed feel to it, and it can?t seem to make up its mind about the kind of movie it really is. On one hand, it wants to be taken seriously, but on the other hand, it also wants its audience to enjoy itself on a superficial level.

Many of the characters? motivations?especially Henry VIII?s?are unclear and, when they?re clear, they don?t make sense. This makes everything hard to swallow, and only emphasizes the feeling that what you?re watching is a glorified soap opera.

Portman and Johansson do what they can with their characters, and they each have memorable moments, but they can?t get past the limitations imposed upon them by the script. It?s when Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays the girls? mother, and Ana Torrent, as the long-suffering Queen Catherine of Aragon, make their brief yet compelling appearances that you get a glimpse of the gripping movie that ?The Other Boleyn Girl? strives to be.