The Other Boleyn Girl

On Feb 15th, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson were seen puckering up on the red carpet at the International Film Festival Berlinale in Berlin, Germany on the occasion of the premiere show of the movie 'The Other Boleyn Girl'.

The movie tells the (distorted) story of two sisters, Anne (played by Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson). Driven by their ambitious father's desires to advance the family's power and status, the two court Henry VIII, King of England (incarnated by Eric Bana). The script is written by Peter Morgan ("The Queen," "The Last King of Scotland") adapted from the best-selling novel by Phillipa Gregory.

Peter Morgan was previously involved in a similar project, the 2003 "Henry VIII" made for Granada Television, but critics present at Berlin were of the opinion that it's probably not as good as either of those two scripts. The story was modified to remove controversial elements, such as the fact that Mary was actually 12 when she married her first husband, who was 24.

Henry VIII was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 21 April 1509 until his death on 28 January 1547. He was an avid gambler and dice player and practiced many sports in his youth. Henry married his brother Arthur's widow, Catherine, on 11 June 1509. Catherine's inability to produce the desired heir made Henry get involved with Anne Boleyn (Natalie). Actually, Anne was motivated by her father, Sir Thomas Boleyn who was desperate to bring his family back to prominence.

King Henry VIII divorced Catherine and secretly married Anne Boleyn, who was crowned Queen of England on June 1st 1533 and gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth (Elizabeth I of England), three months later. However, Sir Boleyn's scheme goes off course when the King takes to the other Boleyn girl, Anne's younger sister and best friend Mary (Johansson). Although married already, Mary gives in to family pressure and reluctantly provides the King with a boy, but along the way, she finds herself falling in love with the surprisingly tender monarch. Of course, this love affair is no obstacle for Anne whose hunger for the throne now overpowers her sisterly love, and she enacts a plan that eventually tears her family and her country apart while leading to her legendary demise.

The movie releases on this Friday, February 29th. Here is the movie's official website: theotherboleyngirl.com. Its runtime is 115 minutes and it's rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images.

In Bruges

Martin McDonagh makes his feature directorial debut on the film 'In Bruges' based on his own original screenplay. McDonagh got his start on the stage. His plays (which include 'The Lieutenant of Inishmore' and 'The Pillowman') have brought him two Olivier Awards and four Tony Award nominations. He eventually decided to turn his darkly comedic voice toward the cinematic world, resulting in his Oscar-winning short film, 2005's pitch-black "Six Shooter".

Bruges (pronounced "broozh"), the most well-preserved medieval city in the whole of Belgium, is a welcoming destination for travellers from all over the world. But for hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), it could be their final destination; a difficult job has resulted in the pair being ordered right before Christmas by their London boss Harry (two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) to go and cool their heels in the storybook Flemish city for a couple of weeks.

Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the city.

But the longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor (Jordan Prentice) shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloë (Clémence Poésy), who may have some dark secrets of her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences.

The film is rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use. Here is its official site: filminfocus.com.