REVIEW: Bright Star

As the most stereotypical of English Literature students I am a massive Romantic poets fan. I have considered putting 'I love Lord Byron' as my Facebook status. I genuinely think Blake might be god.

Having said this Keats has always come pretty far down my list of faves (there is a list). Not as low as sell out Wordsworth, but I generally have found him a little too serious, not enough sparkle, and sometimes just baffling. Beautiful, but baffling. Bright Star however, changed my mind.

Its not the Fanny Brawn/Keats love story I was taught it seminar, where it was largely overshadowed by his potential prostitute dabblings, Byron's incest/Shelley's swinging, and the fact that there is no direct mention of the affair in his work. But it doesn't matter what really happened.

True or not, hearing Keats' poems read to Fanny, and read by her, gives them a relatable to context and meaning that illuminates their beauty beyond abstract musing on poetry and death. And fantasy it may partly be, but its a beautiful fantasy. Why do we need all the facts, a rounded picture, proof? This film is all about Fanny Brawn - how see saw it, how she saw him, how she saw them.

This is not least because of Abbie Cornish's acting, (as much as it pains me to admit out of loyalty to Reese Witherspoon). It is the best performance by a female actress I have seen in a long time. Incredibly subtle and considered. But so real. I have never seen anyone cry so realistically on stage or in a film. Not just superficial tears running down MAC finished cheeks onto heaving breasts tumbling out of a period inappropriate low cut dress; choking, hyperventilating, stubborn, resisted sobbing.

The whole film feels real. Not Hollywood realism. And, as above, not necessarily factual realism. There are some shots that would defiantly have been re shot under a more mainstream director, because there's a brilliantly recognisable awkwardness (Fanny's sister and Brown providing some of the most poignant) and one particularly aching moment ( I wont ruin it) where you're just yelling in your head: 'for gods sake say something!' But there's only silence. Because no one knows what to say then. No one ever says anything in those situations.


The film is pretty sparse on continual dialogue. There are lingering shots that add to the feeling of honesty but enough scene movement to make you feel the fleeting nature of both the love story and Keats' life.

Knowing the ending of a film before you begin is never a good way to go, although it does add to the sense of passing time and your involvement in the relationship. But the film is so beautiful and so wonderfully crafted with shots and music (typical Jane Campion stunning light, nature shots and music - all played within the film at some point as well as over laid) it doesn't really matter.

See it. If you hate Keats, if you were confused by The Piano, if you have no idea who the actors are. If you know the ending. It's worth it. And Keats gets a little more pay back for the lack of appreciation in his lifetime. And a little more street cred for looking like Ben Whishaw.