Review of Bright Star (2009) by Eric P — 08 Apr 2010

Beautifully shot. But why was I so sleepy throughout? Too respectful of the conventions of the time, and not enough psychodrama or insight into either Keats or Brawne to keep my attention. And here's a great drinking game: down a shot every time Brawne breaks down in huge, girly sobs. You'll be trashed by the end of the film.

And if you are going to make a movie about a Romantic poet, why choose Keats, who seems to have been the absolutely most BORING of all the Romantic poets. He did nothing his entire, short life but write poems, and died penniless from TB at age 25. Make a movie about Lord Byron, who at least died fighting for Greek independence. Or Shelly and his wife, running around Europe and inventing whole new genres of modern literature. These guys led very radical, unconventional lives. Christ. Keats just sat around and read books all day. He wrote beautiful poems, BUT THEY DO NO TRANSLATE ONTO FILM!!!!And Fanny Brawne, though a bit fiery and strong willed, was an entirely CONVENTIONAL upper-middle-class woman of the early 19th century, which meant she mostly just sat by windows and sewed all day. So why is this movie all about HER and not Keats, who wrote some of the most remarkable poetry in the English language? Oh right. Because the director is Jane Campion.