trailer mix

‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ Trailer: Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson Trade Snaps

Tagline: “In an age when a woman’s destiny was determined by her father, one sister followed the rules, the other defied them.”

Translation: Woo! Get ready for a sixteenth-century aristocratic cat fight!

The Verdict: As the trailer for this Natalie Portman–Scarlett Johansson vehicle begins, a regal voice announces that “an opportunity has arisen to be mistress of the King of England,” which sets in motion a story line in which the two star as sisters who bitterly compete for the affection of Henry VIII. There’s a little bit of retroactive feminism at the start (“Our daughters are being traded like cattle for advancement of men!”), but the clip mostly highlights Natalie Portman’s catty smack talk (“Try to please him — if you can!” Oh, snap!), and the resplendent wardrobes of its stars. (Seriously, check out that enormous pimp-quality fur coat on Henry VIII!) It’s all rather bombastic, but despite the fact that this movie looks like a standard period drama, the trailer plays out more like an episode of Tudor England’s Next Top Mistress. —Matthew Perpetua

‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ Trailer: Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson Trade Snaps