Since this will most likely be THE period piece of the year, I decided to take a look at `Bright Star` tonight & what I found were 2 great performances and great direction muddled by a fairly standard screenplay. Don't get me wrong- I love movies like these, in fact I'm a sucker for Jane Campion's great The Piano or James Ivory's haunting The Remains Of The Day. Both these movies had something that Bright Star lacks, a sense of urgency and uncanny originality that would set them apart from the others. Campion herself directs this movie and she does one hell of a job, setting a slow paced but effectively drawn out mood that -for the most part- had me at hello. The reason I'm writing this review is not for Campion, it's actually for relative newcomer Abbie Cornish who plays Fanny Browne -forbiddenly in love with poet John Keats- and one hell of an actress. She exudes passion and her final scene is incredibly real and stunning. I'm betting she gets an Oscar Nom come January & if she doesn't- then I'm gonna call it a major steal.
Some of you might Remember Cornish as Michelle in Stop-Loss or her small part in Ridley Scott's A Good Year. Those movies didn't showcase her talent enough and shadowed her behind other great actors- Bright Star is her chance to shine & boy does she ever. It`s the best female performance I`ve seen all year. The passion she brings to this movie is astounding. From the many different dresses she wears on screen to the beauty & romance she exudes with her counterpart -an impressive Ben Wishaw- there`s something exciting in discovering an actress blooming and lifting up a somewhat ordinary film. I don`t need to tell you Cornish does that and then some.