moviereview colin fraser film movie australia review critic flicks
The tragic life of poet John Keats has not been an easy one for happy-ending filmmakers yet probably accounts for his appeal to Jane Campion (The Piano). She's not one to be dissuaded by mere misery: Keats lost his parents when young, his brother died at an early age, the poet was never appreciated in his own lifetime and died of tuberculosis, a pauper, aged 25 despite having penned some of the most significant and influential romantic poetry of any generation – the titular Bright Star included. What a downer.
Itself a tall hurdle to overcome and one that Campion never quite clears despite a muscular effort. For here is a striking film in so many ways – Greig Fraser's lush cinematography alone is simply breathtaking - but one that in the cruellest irony, fails to grasp the heart. Eschewing the framing of biopic, the director introduces us to Keats' sprightly, forthright neighbour (Cornish) whose modern mother (the redoubtable Kerry Fox) tolerates her scandal-inviting romance. Less so Keats' sparring partner and fellow writer Charles Brown, who jealously guards his true love from the emotional importuning of mere women.
There is a lot to like about Bright Star – about grand tragedy played against the immediacy of human frailty and doomed love. It earned a Golden Palm nomination at Cannes. Whishaw and Cornish work well together, each delivering impeccably nuanced performances. Production is measured, fine, distinguished. Yet there's an intangible that keeps audiences distanced from what should be raw, emotional turmoil. Like Keats' work read with a modern, hurried perspective, Bright Star resists immediate clarity and sits obliquely to the viewer. Perhaps like Keats' work, it too will be seen more kindly with time.
// COLIN FRASER
moviereview colin fraser film movie australia review critic flicks