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BRIGHT STARMovie Reviews
Period drama about the love affair between English poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, the girl next door. Cast:Ben Whishaw, Kerry Fox, Abbie Cornish, Paul SchneiderDirector:Jane CampionRelease Date:September 16, 2009DVD Release:January 26, 2010From:Pathe Pictures InternationalRating:PGLength:1 hr 59 min
Bright Star played in key cities to excellent reviews. • Kenneth Turan wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...an exquisitely done, emotional love story that marries heartbreaking passion to formidable filmmaking restraint..." • And A.O. Scott wrote in the New York Times, "...traces the comminglings and collisions of poetic creation and amatory passion.... romantic in every possible sense of the word.... insanely sexy." More Reviews Below...
Bright Star Positive Reviews (42 Reviews, reviews below)
Leah Rozen, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the film's delicate details -- the texture of a linen dress, the wax seal on a love letter -- bring Keats, Brawne and their era to vivid life."(See all of Leah Rozen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 110 words, 09/17/09
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...quiet, luscious, stately... Cornish's lovely, openhearted performance results in a character instantly, intimately recognizable to anyone remembering her own first love."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 213 words, 09/18/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "Jane Campion has fashioned a fascinating mix of contradictions. Her film is at once gritty and ethereal, grounded and romantic, quaint and contemporary."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 09/17/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intense love finding only a chaste expression is undeniably intriguing.... it allows for plenty of well-crafted verbal expressions of heartfelt devotion, but only a few kisses."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 09/18/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...traces the comminglings and collisions of poetic creation and amatory passion.... romantic in every possible sense of the word.... insanely sexy."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,027 words, 09/16/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There's nothing exceptional about Jane Campion's historical biography, but it's a sufficiently lovely tale to suit romantics with a taste for intimate period dramas."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 141 words, 09/18/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's to Campion's credit that she doesn't heat up the story or go for easy emotional payoffs... How she works in the words is one of the subtle beauties of the film."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 952 words, 09/24/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...beautifully crafted... It's Abbie Cornish's full-blooded performance, and the flawlessly realized period setting, that will make 'Bright Star' catnip for the art-house crowd."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 09/16/09
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...more conventionally romantic than wildly Romantic -- but no less touching for that.... this is a movie of undeniable pathos. But that does not make it sublime."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 09/16/09
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The film unfolds like a poem, quietly and deliberately.... Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw convey big emotions with few words."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 149 words, 09/24/09
KEY CITIES (17 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...rare, genuinely transporting... creates an alternate universe, invites audience members in and lets them sink ever deeper into its particular, sublime reverie."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 650 words, 09/25/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Ben Whishaw's reading of 'Ode to a Nightingale' is the perfect close to a perfect movie.... Jane Campion's latest work is a beauty -- and a joy."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 09/25/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...shines brightly indeed, not only on the strength of a couple of powerhouse performances, but also as a look back at a time when poets were rock stars..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 09/25/09
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Intimate as a whisper, immediate as a blush, and universal as first love, the PG-rated film positively palpitates with the sensual and spiritual."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 561 words, 09/25/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...ripe with the eroticism of a proud woman being seduced by words and undone by emotions. If that's not worth more than a year of Megan Fox movies, I can't help you."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 896 words, 09/25/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Could there be a more gorgeous image of fragile beauty? It's that sort of touch that makes 'Bright Star' more than a period piece."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 09/18/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...little happens, but we find immense pleasure in the movements of a cat, the innocence of a small girl... the way that poetry can briefly transport us..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 563 words, 09/18/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: EXCELLENT(cg) "Beautifully shot and smartly told... cleverly inserts pieces of poetry here and there that play nicely as a subtext, usually very hard to pull of on screen..."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 09/25/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "There are nice bits throughout, and your heart can't help but go out to these impassioned young lovers... But 'Bright Star' is too often tarnished by the ordinary."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 09/25/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...exquisite. Too ethereal for entertainment and too elusive for history, 'Bright Star' is best appreciated as a beautiful, shining object, just out of reach."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 09/25/09
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Any film combining 'Masterpiece Theatre' eloquence with emotion even 'The Hills' fans can enjoy is something to celebrate."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 10/01/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: EXCELLENT(cg) "Campion uses our knowledge of Austen-era mores to suggest how heated this affair was, by the standards of the time.... literate, romantic and high-minded."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 09/25/09
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...a well-acted, well-crafted but excruciatingly tepid romantic film about a subject that will attract poetry lovers and yet test even their considerable patience."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 471 words, 09/25/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a prismatic depiction - tart, funny and piercing - of the romance between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne in the three years before he died, in 1821, at age 25."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 844 words, 09/25/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Silence and stillness, as well as the restrained desire of its lovers, are given their due.... patience is demanded but also rewarded."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 630 words, 09/25/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...more conventionally romantic than wildly Romantic -- but no less touching for that.... this is a movie of undeniable pathos. But that does not make it sublime."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 09/16/09
Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Fanny Brawne deserved more than just a generic place in the heavens as a Great Lover Thwarted by Fate. 'Bright Star' is only second-magnitude."(See all of Jeffrey Gantz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 09/24/09
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The film unfolds like a poem, quietly and deliberately.... Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw convey big emotions with few words."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 149 words, 09/24/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...features a strong heroine, a memorable supporting cast, and an attraction between the two central lovers that's more palpable than breathless line readings..."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 497 words, 09/24/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...traces the comminglings and collisions of poetic creation and amatory passion.... romantic in every possible sense of the word.... insanely sexy."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,027 words, 09/16/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "The production is modest in physical scale, mostly reserved in tone and touchingly simple in design... Yet the effect is exhilarating, and deeply pleasurable."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 619 words, 09/18/09
David Denby, New Yorker: OUTSTANDING "What makes the movie extraordinary is not so much the portrait of a poet as the accuracy and the detail of the period re-creation."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 09/14/09
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "A treat for romantics and those who take their poetry seriously... Not for the popcorn set, a gorgeous film about romantic love and fine poetry."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 05/15/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...traces the comminglings and collisions of poetic creation and amatory passion.... romantic in every possible sense of the word.... insanely sexy."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,027 words, 09/16/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "The production is modest in physical scale, mostly reserved in tone and touchingly simple in design... Yet the effect is exhilarating, and deeply pleasurable."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 619 words, 09/18/09
15.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Bright Star's reviews are separated by an average 15.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Bright Star (42 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Bright Star's reviews cover 77.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 22,648 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 539 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Bright Star Coverage, Volume & Length (42 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 51.6 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Bright Star's reviews on average broke 51.6 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Bright Star's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Bright Star (42 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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