I’ve continued my Anne Boleyn-focused “let’s watch things we haven’t fully reviewed for Frock Flicks” kick and so foolishly rewatched 2003’s Henry VIII, a two-part movie made by ITV starring Ray Winstone as Henry. And people, it was BAD. VERY BAD. Both in terms of plot, costume, pacing, you name it. So, let’s dust this one off and relive the horror.
Although the film’s title implies it will focus on Henry, it’s really an episodic romp through Henry’s wives plus a few extra Henry-focused scenes. Most of the entire first half is spent on Anne Boleyn, so the other wives get definite short shrift and I very much lost focus and just started fast-forwarding. I’m not going to recap the entire thing, but talk about the deeply shitty costumes and a few choice moments from a storytelling angle.
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you know what’s weird?
I recognized “Georgiana Darcy” right away
LOL
OMG. Even though I’ve been a regular reader of this blog for years now, I still don’t know much about costumes other than whether or not I like them and whether or not they “look wrong.” I’ve definitely been trained to notice more of what “looks wrong” since reading this blog. That said, just in the two stills above Helena Bonham-Carter’s costume looks totally what the frock to me. Ray Winstone looks bored as all get out. I’m really intrigued by Emilia Fox who is such an engaging actress. All three Bonham–Carter, Winstone, and Fox–are tremendously talented actors, in my opinion. Their presence in what even looks to be terrible based on these two pictures is just more evidence of British actors commitment to being working actors no matter what–even in this seemingly horrible TV movie. (Sight unseen, I 100% accept Kendra’s review that it was BAD. VERY BAD.) Ouch!
This miniseries was crap. I dunno what that writer has against Anne Boleyn, but he made Henry rape her in TWO separate projects — I guess to punish her? Ick, ick, ICK. (In case you are wondering, he also wrote The Other Boleyn Girl’s script, and added in a rape that wasn’t in the book cuz… IDK. He had it in his mind and isn’t afraid to be un-creative?)