But of course when the dull-witted king visits the Boleyn estate, he falls not for Anne but her younger sister, Mary, who is happily married, has no interest in being the king's mistress. Anne is furious, and schemes to get Henry - which leads to her to be exiled to France as punishment. But Anne’s foreign stay is brief, and returns educated, sharp-tongued and more ambitious than ever.

While Mary awaits the birth of the king’s (unfortunately illegitimate) son, Anne’s wiles prove irresistible. And Henry is seduced yet once again. Henry would eventually execute Anne under charges of adultery, incest and treason, and the movie suggests that in exchange for queenly power, she was more than willing to engage in any of these activities.

All the major talent seems to have been gathered behind the camera for this project, including screenwriter Peter Morgan ("The Queen") and director Justin Chadwick (Masterpiece Theatre's "Bleak House"). Director Chadwick and production designer John Paul Kelly try to enhance the tension with many shots of dark, foreboding skies. But while there is some impressively invisible CGI work going on in the background, The Other Boleyn Girl feels like just another episode of any Masterpiece Theatre mini-series.