The last twenty minutes of the movie are a rushed account of her fall, which is dealt with more clearly in the novel. This rushed feeling might leave some fans of the book unsatisfied with how the movie handles the source material. Characters mentioned heavily in the book are merely brushed upon or not mentioned at all in the movie. The movie focuses mostly on the three main characters, George Boleyn, and the Howard family. We barely see William Carey or the romance and courtship of Mary's second husband William Stafford in the film, while these are heavily mentioned in the novel. Something else totally ignored in the film is the topic of homosexuality, which is something dealt with a great deal in the novel, but it is completely eliminated here. In the book, George Boleyn is known to have a male lover. This is not mentioned once in the film. They only allude to the incest that takes place between him and his sister Anne, which in the film is shown to never have taken place at all.

The film visually takes you back to that time period with its costuming and look. Filmed last year in England, there is no doubt that much care was taken in making it look authentic. As for the acting, the three principle actors are all superb here. Scarlett and Natalie as the two sisters at war with each other are convincing, and they both do well in these roles. Eric Bana as King Henry VIII is also well suited for this role. His Henry is much different than the Henry we see in The Tudors. Bana as an actor is intimidating with his size and his glaring stare, which suits the monarch well in this film. With one look, no words are really needed, and that is used here to its full advantage. This film for fans of the book or of the time in history is one to check out. I found myself glued to my seat the entire time, and it was seven dollars well spent.