The Other Boleyn Girl scores 3/5

Oh to have lived in 16th century England when people were spectacularly handsome — glossy hair, perfect teeth, flawless skin and svelte figures. Damn those modern inventions (plumbing, shampoo and dentistry) which wreaked havoc with England's lineage of beautiful people.

Or perhaps it was just those Boleyn girls and their lusty king.

'The Other Boleyn Girl', adapted from the Philippa Gregory novel by Peter Morgan ('The Queen'), is a visual feast of sumptuous silks, heaving bosoms and the delicious pairing of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. It is also vaguely related to the story of King Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn and her sister Mary.

The king's (Eric Bana) first marriage to Katherine of Aragon (Ana Torent) hits a sticky patch when she fails consistently to produce a male heir. As soon as their marital difficulties become common knowledge, all the social-climbing gentlemen of the court begin pimping out their daughters in the hopes that they will catch the king's roving eye. Among these is the greedy Thomas Howard (David Morrissey), who convinces his brother-in-law that his feisty eldest daughter Anne (Portman) is a good contender.

While Anne vies for the king’s attention, Henry's lusty eye falls on her docile married sister Mary (Johansson). His choice of Boleyn girl matters little to the family’s patriarchs and soon the whole family leaves their country home to live at the court so that the king can bed Mary.

Feeling betrayed, Anne throws a hissy fit, illegitimately marries a betrothed man and is exiled to the court of the French queen. When Mary falls pregnant and is confined to bed, Anne is called back to entice the king with her new-found arsenal of womanly wiles.

Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the dastardly king knows where this is (be)heading.

While this pretty period piece pays little attention to the intriguing international politics of the time (including the king’s monumental break with the Roman Catholic Church), it does provide some interesting insight into the concept of females as property to be bartered for social standing.

Bana broods and strides while Portman and Johansson take turns being the other Boleyn girl. Stuff history, this is a period soap opera, which males will endure because of the irresistible appeal of the Johansson/Portman combo.