Bright Star

A relationship begins between a poet in London and the young woman next door. She is expert with needle and cloth; he has no money and marriage is out of the question. The film does not explain the poetry, it shows it as something lived: letters, waiting, a single scene in a garden. The narrative gives its weight to her and builds the poet largely through her looking. The scene of a room filled with butterflies sums up how the film shows feeling. Jane Campion wrote and directed. Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw lead. It follows the relationship between John Keats and Fanny Brawne and the letters between them. Who it's for: those who like patient period drama and films that engage with poetry. Who it's not for: viewers waiting for incident; the film is built almost entirely on waiting.