"First love burns the brightest." This, the short-but-sweet tagline of the recent British import Bright Star, says it all. Depicting the short-lived love affair between 19th century British poet John Keats and his young next-door neighbor Fanny Brawne, the film, written and directed by Jane Campion (The Piano), makes a heartfelt stab at an honest depiction of the emotional whirlwind stirred up by a first love.
The story opens on Brawne (Abbie Cornish), a fashion-conscious, out-spoken member of London's early 1800s upper middle class. Separated by class and Brawne's general disinterest in literature, her pairing with Keats (Ben Whishaw) seems a wholly improbable match at first. Brawne, prompted to help Keats care for his fatally ill brother, however, develops a fascination with Keats and his poetry and insists he teach her his craft. A passionate, yet stormy relationship ensues, which eventually comes to a dramatic close with Keats' persistent tuberculosis, subsequent move to Italy and finally, his untimely death at the tender age of 25.
Inspired by his white-hot affection for Brawne, Keats penned the renowned poem "Bright Star" - and the film of the same name does the poem justice. Though it certainly falls prey to a few of the clich
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