Review of Bright Star (2009) by Sid C — 08 Mar 2010

Bright Star is a film that many people besides serious movie fanatics probably haven't heard of. This is unfortunate because Bright Star is one of the best films of 2009. The film was written and directed by Academy Award winner Jane Campion and stars Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish. The film's plot centers on the last three years of the English Poet John Keats (Whishaw) life as he falls in love with the girl next door Fanny Brawne (Cornish). Now you may be thinking to yourself "Josh, why are you ranting about a film that is so obviously meant for the ladies?" I'll be honest; I was somewhat skeptical about this film when I decided to watch it. I'm not a huge fan of Jane Austen type romantic period films but I'm willing on occasion to risk wasting two hours of my life in an effort to find good film. Fortunately Bright Star wasn't a massive waste of my time and turned out to be miles ahead of every other chick flick I've been forced to sit through.

This film is well written, brilliantly acted, beautifully shot, and all around a very enjoyable film.

So let's begin with the acting. As I stated earlier the acting is top notch on all counts. Cornish and Whishaw turn in oscar worthy performances (snubbed they were) and in a surprise turn Paul Schneider (Parks and Recreation) is brilliant as Keat's colleague Charles Brown. All the actors fit perfectly into their roles and all seem to blend in perfectly with their surroundings. The world of this film is totally believable. Of course this is a true story so it isn't all that amazing that they pulled this off. It isn't like they painted themselves blue and made up some goofy language (Avatar died at the Oscars. I laughed).

Now the real question is would this be a enjoyable film for all ages, sexes, and races? Actually to be honest the only question I'll be answering is the question of whether both men and women would enjoy this film. I just needed three things to round out my list. Enough rambling let's move on. This is obviously a movie that would be more enjoyable for the more attractive demographic (that would be the ladies) but men can still have a good time watching Bright Star. While it isn't a manly movie (no greased up Spartans here) it is still a fun film for those who enjoy a good quality film. So the next time you finish up watching Casino Royale, The Dark Knight, or No Country for Old Men and you feel like something a little quieter why not call in your girlfriend, sister, mother, or maybe some random ladies off the street (that sounds strange) and sit down and watch Bright Star. Its definitely worth your precious time.