Watching "The Other Boleyn Girl" I was yearning for the old M-G-M days who know how to put on a show regarding English palace intrigue. Where is Lana Turner, Liz Taylor and Angela Lansbury when you need them?!?

I have liked Natalie Portman (Anne Boleyn) in a couple of her beginning movies but she hasn't been in movies lately that show what was her potential range. Scarlett Johansson (Mary Boleyn) is forgettable 2 minutes after you have seen one of her movies. Eric Bana (Henry VIII) is imposing physically (and wearing the lush costumes much better than his female co-stars) but doesn't have to show much range as an actor.

It is basically a soap opera of the two Boleyn girl's father (Mark Rylance) and uncle (David Morrissey) pimping them to the king to better their own lot in life while their mother (Kristin Scott Thomas, giving the best performance) sits in the sidelines going tut-tut.

"The Tudors", which had its first season on Showtime is a much better bodice ripper with a much better cast. Seeing this after watching the TV series is a major disappointment.

How much is true-okay, we know Anne got the axe--literally- but a lot of the film seems like conjuncture than what might have really happened.

Grab an old M-G-M movie or watch "Anne of a Thousand Days", even Charles Laughton as Henry VIII or "A Man For All Seasons" and, of course, Katherine Hepburn in "The Lion in Winter" not to forget Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton in "Beckett--all much better English royal period dramas than this.