Bright Star
Review
by Anthony Morris
|
|
|
Bright Star
|
It
is the early 1800s, and as always seems to be the case for young women
of that era, true love is once again being thwarted by the need for a
steady income.
So far, so Jane Austin - but this particular
true story is given added resonance by being the story of now famous,
then ignored poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw).
Today he's seen as
one of the greats of the romantic movement: back then he was a
penniless nobody with a dying brother and a best friend who seemed to
take great pleasure in taking swipes at their neighbour Fanny Brawne
(Australia's own Abbie Cornish).
Of course, love soon bloomed
between Keats and her, but his lack of any kind of income meant they
could never be married no matter how much or how openly they adored
each other.
There's no denying that much of this film works
extremely well: director Jane Campion does a brilliant job of capturing
the beauty of the english countryside, and the occasional readings of
Keats' poetry has real passion behind it. The performances are also
first-rate, with both Whishaw and Cornish bringing their characters
feelings to life with utter conviction.
And yet, whether the
Austin-esque setting is simply too familiar from a dozen inferior films
and mini-series or the restraint the characters have to show towards
each other never quite thaws enough, the result is a film that looks
amazing but feels slightly lifeless at its core.
It's a film about the heart, but one that ends up appealing almost entirely to the head.
4
out
of 5
Bright Star
Australian release: 26th December,
2009
Official
Site: Bright Star
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider, Kerry Fox
Director: Jane Campion
|
