The historical romance is a genre that is well-worn and I have to admit that I wasn’t sure about a love story about John Keats, but I was very pleasantly surprised by Jane Campion’s Bright Star. She has created a film that is subtle and poetic that follows the rhythms of the time while being stunningly beautiful to look at. The film focuses mainly on the relationship that John Keats has with Fanny Brawne and Charles Armitage Brown, and doesn’t spend too much time on the writing and poetry. There are lovely spaces and ellipses in the film with great performances all around. The story is constructed from the letters exchanged between Brawne and Keats and has a a refreshing intimacy that exists within a context when people rarely spent much time alone. Visually the film is very painterly with the characters set in lovely tableaux. Bright Star is a rare film that is poetic, thoughtful and engaging even if you know the entire history.