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Title: Bright Star (2009)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Abbie Cornish | ... | Fanny Brawne | |
| Ben Whishaw | ... | John Keats | |
| Paul Schneider | ... | Mr. Brown | |
| Kerry Fox | ... | Mrs. Brawne | |
| Edie Martin | ... | Toots | |
| Thomas Brodie-Sangster | ... | Samuel | |
| Claudie Blakley | ... | Maria Dilke | |
| Gerard Monaco | ... | Charles Dilke | |
| Antonia Campbell-Hughes | ... | Abigail | |
| Samuel Roukin | ... | Reynolds | |
| Amanda Hale | ... | Reynolds Sister | |
| Lucinda Raikes | ... | Reynolds Sister | |
| Samuel Barnett | ... | Mr. Severn | |
| Jonathan Aris | ... | Mr. Hunt | |
| Olly Alexander | ... | Tom Keats | |
It's 1818 in Hampstead Village on the outskirts of London. Poet Charles Brown lives in one half of a house, the Dilkes family the other. Through association with the Dilkes, the fatherless Brawne family knows Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown and the Brawne's eldest daughter, Fanny, don't like each other. She thinks him arrogant and rude; he feels that she's a pretentious flirt, knowing only how to sew (admittedly well as she makes all her own fashionable clothes), and voicing opinions on subjects about which she knows nothing. Insecure struggling poet John Keats comes to live with his friend, Mr. Brown. Miss Brawne and Mr. Keats have a mutual attraction to each other, but their relationship is slow to develop, in part, since Mr. Brown does whatever he can to keep the two apart. Other obstacles face the couple, including their eventual overwhelming passion for each other clouding their view of what the other does, Mr. Keats' struggling career, which offers him little in the way of monetary ... Written by Huggo
Just saw this at the Ritz East. There wasn't much else playing & this had an 8.1 rating on IMDb so I thought I'd check it out. My instincts were well rewarded because this was one of the best movies I've seen. It was a very well constructed film detailing the relationship of the Romantic poet John Keats with his lover Fanny Brawne, as well as Keats' relationship with his friend and patron Charles Brown.
The actors were relatively unknown to me. I'm pretty sure I've seen Paul Schneider, who played Charles Brown, in other films. But Abbie Cornish, who played Fanny, and Ben Whishaw, who played Keats, are new to me. They were great. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job.
Jane Campion, the Director, brought the period to life. And the character development was outstanding. The viewer really felt a connection to the characters in the film, even minor characters, like Fanny's mother & siblings, were highly engaging. Fanny's younger sister was the most adorable little girl in film since Gretl in "The Sound of Music".
The music and mood of the movie fit the period and subject perfectly. I was mesmerized from the beginning to the end of this great film. I think I'll go back and see it again. It was that good.
The movie ended, while the credits rolled, with Whishaw reciting "Ode to a Nightingale" set to classical music. The audience stayed up until the last credit rolled. It was a nice touch to finish the movie with.
This movie will likely be the definitive film about Romantic poets. Maybe Campion will direct a movie about Byron in Greece or Shelley in Italy. One thing is for sure, she set the bar pretty high with "Bright Star".