What a disappointment...

I have been excited for "The Other Boleyn Girl" for a while... So, today I went to a matinée, which was , luckily, *free*. Seriously. With such a spectacular cast (Natalie Portman, ScarJo, and Kristin Scott Thomas) I expected a lot from this film. I did not expect anything from Eric Bana (wasn't he in "The Hulk" which I did not see?) The only thing I can say for him is that with a beard he is pretty darn attractive. If you can ignore his character in the film. Otherwise, enjoy his splendidly floral, exotic pouffy sleeves. Quite womanly, although I am sure the costumes were the least of my problems with the film.
Unfortunately, most of the characters were totally despicable. It is based on a novel, and I am not sure how historically accurate it is (if at all, although I did remember a few things from 8th grade history that lined up) but at one point I actually flipped off the screen. With both hands. That kind of strenuous effort was really not unfounded.
The father of the girls is all, 'oh, what a great opportunity for my daughter, to become mistress to the king, oh, wait... he doesn't like her? Well, how about the other, married daughter? Oh, good, glad at least one of my daughters can bed the king. Let's make sure we all have a conference about how many times they had sex. Oh, now she's pregnant and he won't be with her? Oh, let's bring back the other daughter so that at least one of my children can be living in sin with the king. Ha, ha, ha, what a great life for all of us!'
Basically, the mother and the brother are the only tolerable people in the whole story. I know, usually I like films for their acting and artistic value. The acting was great. It was a beautifully produced film. Unfortunately in this case I could not suppress my distaste for the subject matter enough to notice these things.
The Anne Boleyn character could have written a book about how to trick a man, by the way. She was an absolutely brilliant, horrible snake of a character. Oh, and the one good quote (by the mother, KST's character) follows: "... allowing the men to believe that they are in charge. That is the art of being a woman." Amen, sister.