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Not many people take much interest in the lives of poets, but filmmaker Jane Campion certainly does. In her latest feat, the seasoned director puts her own period stamp on an early era love affair in “Bright Star”. Centering on the love affair between Fanny Brawne and popular Romantic poet John Keats, the story brings to life the turmoil and passion the two lovers experienced in their relationship within those three years.

Abbie Cornish holds her own as the lovesick and imaginative Fanny Brawne who holds her own despite criticism from friends and family. She brings a subtle likability and leads you to sympathize with her through the ‘scandalous’ relationship they carry on. Ben Whishaw brings the purity and passion of the young poet to the role. The chemistry between the two is very tangible, making you want to root for both of them when they have to face new obstacles. Paul Schneider as the burly Charles Brown is an unlikable character to start things off, but rises to an entirely different level while you deal with him throughout the film. Although he could have actually had a personality of that nature, there were no redeeming qualities from him at all, which made me like his performance even more. Schneider being the rude, stubborn and proud older man who helps Keats through his last years is one of the more surprising parts of this feature.

The elegance and innocence of the Victorian era seeps onto the slightly bleak landscape. The fine work of the stylish and creative costume design outdoes the cinematography which helps breathe some more life into the film. The soft and strong direction that Jane Campion took stands out, gracefully taking charge and clearly conveying the story on paper and behind the camera. The pacing of the film became quite uneven, though, especially towards the middle, which could lead into danger zone of losing its audience. This goes hand in hand with a story that appears patchy, occasionally jumping from one part to another with little explanation. The story is based on John Keats’ actual love affair with the young woman, how they were able to cope with it and still love on through the last years of his life. Though there is much to be tampered with in the imagination due to a lack of historical evidence, it did feel like Campion tried to fill in the spaces. There were still gaps that brought the film down, though.

The beauty of the cinematic version of their relationship along with the vision of Campion still were successfully conveyed despite its flaws. It brings more insight into the life of this particular couple and could possibly pique your curiosity for Keats and his works.

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