vip in the city

Love and the Tudors

This Monday our film seminar series screened a somewhat more mainstream feature than usual: Sony Pictures’ The Other Boleyn Girl, based on Philippa Gregory‘s bestselling novel of the same name.

The Other Boleyn Girl draws its inspiration from the rise and fall of the two Boleyn sisters Mary and Anne (played by Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman, respectively), rivals for the attentions of King Henry VIII (who, continuing the onscreen tradition of hunky Henry Tudors, is portrayed by Eric Bana). The young women are portrayed like opposites: sweet blonde, scheming brunette. In their world, nubile female flesh is leveraged for financial and political favor; the girls are quite literally pimped out to the king by their father and uncle. Anne, of course, eventually wiles her way into becoming queen to the already married king, and loses her head to ambition.

The film is intended as a tale of sexual intrigue and family betrayals, set against the backdrop of the King of England’s break with the Catholic Church — an act with far-reaching consequences for the course of modern English history. Ideal for those who want a little eye candy with their history and, as very little is known of the real-life Mary Boleyn, who aren’t overly concerned with factual details. Screenwriter Peter Morgan, acclaimed for his work on The Last King of Scotland and The Queen, stumbles a bit this time out, glossing over the huge historical impact of the king’s divorce (and subsequent founding of The Church of England) and almost entirely loses inspirational steam once Anne takes her place on the throne.

More free love (banners) in Times Square. Marian Bantjes, Canadian designer, artist, illustrator and typographer. Remember Saks’ 2007 “Want It!” campaign?:

Chip Wass, New York-based award-winning illustrator and designer:

A week later, a small bomb would be set off steps from here, in front of the military recruitment center in Times Square.

Tags: bomb, graphic design, Love, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Times Square