Saturday, December 12, 2009

Bright Star : A stitch in time for now and then.


Jane Campion and her team do an amazing job inviting us, the audience, into a realm not long ago lived . Watching this film in the intimate theater at Cinema Village we immediately enter the private moments of a timeless family's courtship with the sensitive soul John Keats.
The film Bright Star, takes us back to a time before diamonds and pre-nups, cellphones and texting. Fannie and John have a pure love in real time.
The joy of watching this tight knit family nurture their relationships through the arts of respect and proper boundaries brings hope to civilization as we know it. It appears that this courtship is mutually enriching for everyone.
The gorgeous canvas of cinematography and acting is harvest for storytelling. Imagine a calm Christmas dinner , the family fireplace close by, and simple entertainment; Keats reciting a poem upon request of the hostess, then her young boy playing the violin.
My favorite scenes were the subtle freeze frames : Toots walking in the foreground while Fanny and John steal kisses.
This sunshine moment is juxtaposed with a more serious tone which is the sufferings of love and what love can endure. Time and distance, sensing lovers' presence and absense. When they are together their instincts become alive again , apart they suffer the pangs of distance. Abbie Cornish goes to the core of this character and gives a timpanic ending to this film . It is refreshing to see new faces on the screen. The classic Wuthering Heights will have a friend on its shelf. But don't wait for the dvd , this must be seen on "the big screen."

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