Bright Star

Bear with me on this one, cause I still haven't quit sobbing.

I've always been a "less is more" kind of girl when it comes to love scenes in movie. This one is a perfect example of why. As they stroll along, barely touching except for their intertwined fingers, there is an almost palpable longing. A stolen kiss, or a furtive glance bespeaks more passion than all the raunchy sex scenes in the '80s.

Bright Star is a movie about John Keats, played by Ben Whishaw. But make no mistake, the star of this movie is Fanny Brawne, as played by Abbie Cornish. The fabulous Cornish makes you feel every soaring height and every crushing low. Keats seems almost to be a supporting player in his own story.

I don't think I'll be giving anything away here by discussing the ending, but just in case - SPOILER ALERT!

I see now why Cornish got a Golden Globe nomination for her role here. There is true heartbreak in Fanny's face, as Keats' friend breaks the news of his death to her. She's seems to genuinely want to know the details. At the same time, she is very evidently not able to stand another word. As she wails for her mother, and screams "I can't breathe!" while clutching her chest (sounds contrived I know, but it really does work), I fell apart with her. It just seems so real. Not the polished heartbreak Hollywood usually chooses to show us. Losing a loved one is never polished. There's never a script, so that you say or do the right thing at the right time. It's all you can do, in that moment, to keep your molecules from flying apart. It's about time Hollywood gave that to us. It makes the tragedy all the more real.

I'm not a giant poetry fan. I have some poems that I like (though I can't come up with one off the top of my head) and, 0f course, I've heard of John Keats. But I had no idea of this grand love affair he was involved in until I saw the trailer for this movie. Now I'm curious as to what other juicy stuff I've missed out on by not being into poets. I just might have to investigate this further.

But as to the movie, I probably will own this before too much longer. It was like watching a movie based on a Jane Austen book, but better, because this is based on an actual true story. The movie is achingly beautiful. The costumes, the set design, the cinematography - all gorgeous. There is so much longing, beauty, and tragedy. If you're a fan of period pieces, Jane Austen films, or the Romantic Poets - definitely check this one out.