Bright Star

Achingly beautiful, romantic and wonderfully observed, Jane Campion’s Bright Star is the tremendously tragic love story of John Keats and Fanny Brawne. Young, starving poet Keats meets equally young fashion seamstress Brawne, and begins probably the most openly romantic chaste relationship put to film. Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish go a long way in making Keats and Bawne young dreamers, standing on the verge of mutual greatness, which, later on, makes their parting unbearable. Campion fills out the rest of the world with vital and glowing supporting characters, including Paul Schneider (Parks and Recreation) as Keats’ prickly writing partner, Charles Brown, and Edie Martin as Fanny’s adorable kid sister. –Hillary Titley