Customer Reviews

Bright Star [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I wanted to adore Bright Star, especially after reading some wonderful sounding reviews. I think my expectations where a bit high going into this and I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed and indifferent. Bright Star is a beautiful film filled with wonderful, rich colors, lovely costumes and quiet performances.

Based on actual characters, it is hard to say what was real and what was not. A few points in the film seemed embellished, mostly to do with the actual extent of the relationship between Ben Whishaw's character and Abbie Cornish's character. This being the early 1800's, I found it a tad difficult to believe their relationship was allowed certain liberties, especially with Cornish's mother constantly around and pretty informed of all that went on. Again, who is to say what really happened but it almost seemed unrealistic for that particular time period.

The performaces themselves where subtle, though effective. Ben Whishaw as John Keats was the more understated of the 2 leads and I found his character to be the more indifferent one in the relationship. Cornish as Fanny Brawne was more passionate but again, she seemed almost too 'modern' and forward for the time period. Their budding relationship starts almost suddenly and seemingly out of the blue, or at least that is how I perceived it. I found their connection genuine in some instances and bland the next.

Bright Star is a slow-moving film and a bit confusing in the beginning and may not be for everyone, even those who love Period films, as I do. While I ended up liking it, I can say that I certainly wasn't in love with it by any means. Again, I think I wanted to love it so badly and it didn't meet my expectations, sadly. The ending was very touching and felt very genuine and perhaps, oddly, the best part of the film. There is nothing better than a drama done right and the latter part of the film was certainly proof of that.

Bright Star is an uneven film at times and though not perfect by any means, is still worth watching for those desperately in love with the genre.

My wife, bless her soul, did something wonderful for me this past week. Despite her personal regard for this film (she fell asleep in the theater), her knowledge of my personal respect and admiration for John Keats (my favorite poet to ever walk the earth) and my feelings towards this film (one of the top five best of this past year, easy) moved her to buy this movie for me last Tuesday. She even found herself searching store after store since, for some reason, a lot of places weren't carrying it.

Alas, I've already watched this three times this past week.

Jane Campion is a marvelous director who has stunned me many times, and if you have ever wondered what a Jane Austen adaptation would look like under her sensual guidance, you have your answer in `Bright Star'. I will say this; this movie is by far one of the most sensually stimulating films I've ever seen. That isn't to say that it is an explicit film (nothing close to `The Piano') but Campion has a wonderful way of eliciting in the viewer a raw and natural emotion, that of longing and desire, and she paints such a beautifully desirous picture that we are left with baited breath.

The way Keats caresses Fanny's hand; the way she removes a key from her necklace; the way the press their bodies against a wall just to be nearer to one another. Every frame is captured in such a provocative way that we are so entranced and so, excited.

If you've seen the film, then you may recognize where the title of my review is pulled from.

The film tells of the final years of Keats' life. Keats' story is tragic because, at the young age of twenty-five he died of tuberculosis. Sadly, he considered himself a failure, yet today he is renowned as one of the (if not the) best romantic poets who ever lived. This splendid film follows his relationship with two very important people; his dear friend Charles and his muse (and love) Fanny. As Keats attempts to make a name for himself, he finds that he is spellbound by Fanny, a self professed artistic soul, and realizes that finding love in her stirred something magical in him (his letters to Fanny are some of the most moving and provoking words ever penned). Sadly, their relationship was marred by jealousy (on the part of Charles) and social status (he was poor, and thus never wed Fanny) and was eventually cut drastically short by Keats' tragic death.

Campion is a goddess as far as I'm concerned, lacing this film with such glorious emotion and tender affections.

Breaking down this film and trying to explain all that I find so amazing is hard. To say that this film flows like poetry seems rather clichéd beings that it is about a poet, but the statement would be a true one. There is a rich fluidity that exudes every frame and just milks the entire film. The cinematography is easily the best I've seen all year, with some of the most beautiful screen shots of any film, ever. I mean, the butterflies, the bluebonnets, the windows, the hands...everything breathes a life of its own, and it is simply stunning (and soul reaching). You can feel every frame beneath your skin. The score is simple yet refreshing, and the vocal harmonies add a layer of depth and humanity to the film. The costumes and sets are outstanding. I love how one review stated that this film really made you feel as though you were LIVING in that era, and it is so true. Everything feels authentic, yet it's painted with such lush brushstrokes it appears almost dreamlike.

And then there are the performances.

What can I say really? I mean, I have been a huge fan of Paul Schneider since his breakout year in 2007 (he just oozes sensual chemistry) and he doesn't disappoint. Some have attacked his accent, but I found it authentic and unwavering; and his eventual breakdown ("I failed John Keats!") is so touching and heart-tugging. Ben Whishaw is a new talent, and an agreeable one. I do find that this film paints Keats as a canvas for those around him (much like Benjamin Button was last year) and so he comes off a tad less interesting or captivating, but Whishaw has some remarkable moments. The life of this film is, without doubt, Abbie Cornish. I was crossing my fingers this morning for a surprise Oscar nomination for her, since outside of Carey Mulligan, she delivers the best performance of the entire year, in any category. The way she captures the edginess of this woman (her sharp wit, especially when conversing with Charles, is catching) while never discarding her tender affections (the way she describes her adoration of Keats is the pure definition of poetry) is just spellbinding. There is such natural warmth and progression of character, and that final breakdown (shaky hands, gaping breaths, near seizure-like panic) is so authentic, so powerful and so...unforgettable.

I want to cry.

So, now I have to end this review. I'm not sure what else I can say outside of SEE THIS MOVIE. If you are not a fan of the period piece then you probably should avoid it, since this is really a film that defines that genre, but if you are a fan of Jane Austen, Jane Campion (this is her best film since `The Piano') and or poetry then you will fall in love with this film; quite literally.

I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!! Yes it's quiet, yes it is methodically paced but it is so real, so haunting, so unrequited. It is a love story, that is all. A love story of passion and poetry. It doesn't try to be anything else. I have it in my dvd player and have watched it a dozen times already. I do not understand the 1 star reviews for this movie. Either they believed they were going into a romantic comedy or they are not fans of historical pieces. John Keats died at 26, alone in Rome. That should tell us from the beginning that this will not be a happy movie. But what is magnificent is that in many, many respects, it IS a happy movie. The love that is created, built slowly and surely is a real thing. Campion allows Fanny to be infinitely more sympathetic than history would suggest and Abbie Cornish feels a bit like all of us, trying to keep up with John Keats. Fanny Brawne was no poet, no scholar, indeed would have been forgotten entirely if Keats had not immortalized her with his poetry. In Bright Star, we see that she is more than aware of all of this, but that she is worthy of it, her own steadfast love makes her worthy of it. It is this, accompanied with Ben Wishaw's exquisite tenderness that make the story so powerful. It is hard not to believe the actors are mad for each other and Cornish's reaction to Keats' death is one of the most powerful I've ever seen. There is also an especially poignant scene between Keats and his dying brother Tom, so quiet and so touching, reminding us that Campion is a master. I was grateful they did not make us watch Keats waste away, grateful Campion gave him the dignity he so deserves and that we were allowed to be witness to the golden summer (or should I say "Autumn") of his life.

After watching a few of the 2011 Oscar nominees, I had enough of all these sad mediocrities and I went for something of real beauty. Bright Star, the title of a poem by John Keats, is a film about Keats' love story with Fanny Brawne. He gave her the poem and it just might be about her. Bitter- sweet and sad (Keats died aged 24, and far from her: he had let himself be sent to Italy to cure his consumption.) The film's sounds and sights cured me from the acoustic and visual damages that Social Network had inflicted upon me. Sane Fanny made me forget poor Nina Sayers, the poor swan-chicken.
A great film by Jane Campion. Unfortunately from 2009, so no solution for the current Oscar draught.

In 2009, Jane Campion's "Bright Star" returned her to her gothic romance roots (ala, "The Piano" and far away from her desultory "In the Cut") in telling the story of John Keats, a 19th century British poet who has a passion-driven love affair with Fanny Brawne, the daughter of a family that is renting a summer house next to the one that Keats' shares. Andrew Morton wrote a biography of Keats, ("Keats", in 1997) and Campion drew her pas de deux from the biography, casting only the brief love story of the two that shaped much of Keats' famous poetry. She set the stage to create again, in "Bright Star", what she had captured in "The Piano", but this time in the type of chaste love so normal to this period. Keats, at this time, 3 years prior to his death at 25, is an unknown, a hopeful, a dreamer. If you have read a Keats poem, you are taken away by his sheer romanticism. Campion reveals its roots in this film.

The film is beautiful. Campion focuses on her strengths - the costumes and the incredible cinematography. The use of wood, of fabrics, of textures, of flowers in the film, is second to none. There are shots within the film (notably a scene of Fanny Brawne reading one of Keats' letters in a field of blue flowers) that I can truly say took my breath away.

She cast relative unknowns for the leads, Ben Whishaw as Keats and Abbie Cornish as Fanny; they both are independent, intellectual, conscious of how closely they match. Whishaw emanates the love of writing and poetry. Cornish is equally caught up in her fine needlework, confident in her style. They bring a vitality to the screen, a rare coupling without any frank sex scenes - they are financially conscious and responsible young people, but yet deliciously vibrant in their feelings for each other. In the showing I attended of the film, couples who appeared to be lovers or mates waited breathlessly in the tender moments; relating to the subtle moments of wanting between the lovers. (His hand on her hand, both lovers on opposite sides of a single door...) Both actors are impeccable in their roles; or does Campion just get the best from her players?

For many, this film will move too slowly and the speaking of some of Keats' poetry will seem mawkish. Only Charles Brown, (Paul Schneider of "Lars and the Real Girl") seems practical - his vulgar dislike of Fanny based on what he sees is "lightweight" in her love of fashion and tendency to flirt; and Fanny's mother (Kerry Fox, who starred in one of Campion's earlier films) berates her to find someone who has money or an income, instead of a penniless poet, seem to energize the events. For me, the beauty of Keats' old fashioned poetry, the subtleness of the romance, the utter happiness of the two together, and the heartbreak of Keats' death in Italy; they all contribute to the visual treat that is this movie, a period piece with incredible depth. It seems as though Campion may be bypassed in the granting of awards this year, but have no doubt, elements of this film are award-worthy.

The DVD has three interesting featurettes and deleted scenes, some of which were more than deserving of being included in the film. At this point, I don't know if it will be released on Blu-Ray - as fine a film as any produced in 2009, I hope that "Bright Star" (from the Keats poem of the same name) will capture a larger audience on DVD that its limited theater release in the United States allowed.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever"....~John Keats

This film has a feel much like that of the better Jane Austen adaptations. There is, of course, its nearly identical setting: Pre-Victorian 19th-century England, with the same tangles of family dynamics, social expectation, and voluminous clothing. It is also beautifully filmed, juxtaposing natural scenery with the sparely furnished interiors of homes rented by highborn classes fallen on hard times yet forced to keep up appearances. More important similarities, however, are reflected in the characters themselves and their various journeys of growth, understanding, and love. Even the one role which might easily have come off as merely adversarial ultimately proves more complex, discovering something of conscience and even a hint of pity.

Unlike Austen's classics, however, this tale is fated to end in heartbreak. Written and directed by Jane Campion, BRIGHT STAR dramatizes the last three years in the life of poet John Keats and speculates on his relationship with Fanny Brawne, for whom he wrote the poem from which the film takes it name. Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish in the leads build their characters slowly, so that we are not certain at first whether we will like either of them at all. Yet, with starts and stumbles, they develop a bond of such tenderness that only the hardest heart can fail to embrace their ultimate tragedy and grief. And somehow all this is managed without quite crossing the line into maudlin.

As the film ended and Keats words were heard at length over the closing credits, I found myself wanting to know better the poet's life and work. I suspect Campion herself would count that a success.

This is a movie that romantics will savor over and over - and the fact that it is based on the true love story between Romantic poet John Keats and his muse, Fanny Brawne, makes it all the more riveting. In director Jane Campion's able hands, "Bright Star" is a perfect blend of poetry and passion. Ben Whishaw plays the young poet John Keats who falls hard for Fanny Brawne (Abby Cornish), the spirited and talented daughter (she sews beautifully) of a widow (Kerry Fox) who along with two younger children live in Hampstead Village, North London. Keats and his friend and patron Charles Brown (Paul Schneider) take a room in the house where Fanny and her family live, and a slow attraction develops between Brawne and Keats which eventually consumes them in full force. The beauty of it all is that this passion is not so much physical but something that transcends the flesh - this is a couple that due to the conventions of the day (Keats realizes the hopelessness of his situation for his lack of finances makes him an unworthy suitor) where propriety and maintaining a girl's respectability were highly prized makes physical intimacy almost an impossibility.

Despite this, Fanny and Keats are able to show us how very real their affection and love for each other is - they read poetry to each other, finishing each other's lines, exchange soulful looks, the most tender, feather-light kisses, and all these amidst a gorgeous backdrop of lush fields of flowers, butterflies, etc. There is a strong sense of sexual energy - most evident in a bedroom scene where Fanny and Keats, fully attired recite poetry to one another! The one spoke in this relationship is Charles Brown (well-played by Paul Schneider) who resents Fanny's monopoly of Keat's attention, jealous of their intimacy and his inability to break this close bond, though he tries mightily to do so. In a fit of pure malice, Brown says of Fanny, "She can't speak, because she only knows how to flirt and sew." To Brown, Fanny is like a pesky gnat, an irritant that won't go away. The jibes shared between Fanny and Brown are actually one of the film's highlights, with an energy of their own, and makes for an interesting contrast to the tender interludes between Fanny and Keats.

As I watched "Bright Star", I felt like I was watching the real characters come to life - Whishaw and Cornish breathe so much life into their roles and I was reminded of a line from Keat's poem, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." "Bright Star" certainly is a thing of beauty to be treasured and appreciated for a long time to come. The DVD sadly lacks interesting bonus features - trailers for various movies, a deleted scene "I'll Wait", and three featurettes which are basically very brief interviews with the director, i.e. "Becoming Keats and Fanny", "Setting the Scene", and "An Inspiring Romance". I wish there had been a director's commentary, a making-of segment, and also interviews with the cast.

Being a huge fan of both period movies and John Keats, I was very excited to get this and couldn't wait to watch it. Oh my goodness, was I ever disappointed. For this to have been described as a passionate love story, I seriously couldn't tell when or why John and Fanny fell in love. When you fall in love with somebody, there has to be a reason why, right? There was nothing here! Why or how these two fell in love was beyond me. Fanny comes across as a stringy-haired sourpuss and Keats as just a guy who sits around brooding and being weirdly jealous. Then all of a sudden, we're supposed to be convinced that they're in love. Absolutely nothing happened to make them fall for each other. It almost felt like you were watching two people who wanted somebody to love, and since there wasn't anybody else, they chose each other. Then when you throw in reciting lines from "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" to each other it makes it extra deep and romantic.

Other problems I had with this movie were a couple of supporting characters. John's friend Mr. Brown is completely odious and insults Fanny at every opportunity, but John never even stands up for her - the supposed love of his life! Fanny's mother behaves towards Fanny as if she were nothing more than a tenant. When Fanny receives the news of John's death in Italy, she breaks down and has to BEG her mother to come and comfort her.

I wish the script had included a reference to the fact that before Keats met Fanny, he had met and fallen for a mysterious woman named Isabella Jones, who had completely captivated him. Their love story was ill-fated because she was married, and she also liked many poetic men besides Keats. The obvious difference in the two women could have been a reason for John's attraction to and love for Fanny.

All that being said, I gave the movie 2 stars instead of 1 because the scene in which Fanny hears of John's death is completely heartbreaking and very well acted. The rest of the movie, however, didn't offer anything besides making me ask over and over "Now he fell for her because of...why?"

This movie starts a bit slow - you are following the actions and lives of a young seamstress and her family, but you don't quite yet know really the who and the why...as the story unfolds, you learn more about the circumstances, the people, and most importantly, the young lady, who is Fanny Brawne (played by Abbie Cornish)...you become swept into a story of love, so poignant and sweet and yet with hurdles all its own.

The costumes are amazing (I want one! I want that!), the acting is wonderful, the scenery beautiful and appropriate - what a sweet, sad story of love. For those of you worried about family-friendly content, there is only a little language (nothing too drastic) and some items that are more adult themed (talk about 'bedding' a woman, passionate kissing, some sensual moments), but is overall a clean film: probably not for young childen, but perhaps for the young teenagers, although you could always screen it first if you were still concerned). A highly recommended 'true life' story of Keats and his Fanny Brawne.

I don't recall the last time I saw a true romance movie, though I've watched many so-called. So, I almost passed on this one. However, I had read some of this poet's works and was aware of his life story. And I like historical period pieces. So, I gave this movie a chance and watched the DVD. It is easy to become cynical about romance, and to disdain society's often-preposterous version of it. Here is a man who wants to write poetry (and thinks himself a failure at it), and a woman who loves him, nevertheless. It is the story of the relationship between Fanny Brawne and John Keats. It is a true story of a true love, a love beyond lust, desire of a nobler kind, and passion with compassion. For anything less is not love at all, but a pathetic parody. Indeed the poet himself says with fervor (to his cynical friend), "There is a holiness to the heart's affections. Know you nothing of that?" The question is well put to us all, especially in today's world, with its violent illusions wherein people often use and abuse one another and know little, if anything, of genuine love -- or even of romance, which is not head games of infatuation, but is rather the sacred Eros of negotiating a covenantal relationship -- respect, honor, commitment. It is this kind of human love that reflects well the Love of Christ for His Church. Naturally, given the setting of the story, the Christian undertone is evident. I would watch this movie again, and I recommend it to everyone. There was a time when language had meaning, love was holy, a poem was a thing of beauty, and romance was a work of art. It can still be so.