The ads for Bright Star shout, "One of the most deeply moving romantic films in memory," "This tale of passion looks to be Campion's most popular film since 'The Piano',"  "Sweeps you up on waves of
ravishing romance," "To quote Keats: 'A thing of beauty is a joy
forever' see it," and "Seductive pleasure.". Being a romantic I
couldn't wait to see this film and I walked into the theatre ready to
be swept away in a love story that would grab my heart.

In
order for there to be drama there must be conflict and when the only
conflict is a matter of class preventing one couple, the man being
impoverished, from marrying, while another couple of different class,
the woman, being a household servant, who becomes  pregnant and there is no
consequence.

Where is Jane Austen when you need her? Miss Austen handled themes of class and romance and the mores and customs of the 19th century in many more interesting ways than Jane Campion,
the writer and director of Bright Star, does. Yes, there is a lot of
romance in this movie but it is in the scenery of fields of wild
flowers, a room filled with butterflies and nature in it's many forms.

Though
based on a true story many of the themes have by now become cliches.
You know when the fey young man coughs TB can't be far behind and his
death is sure to follow. Isn't a poet ever strong and masculine looking
in the movies? You know that the strong willed young lady will fall in
love with the poet and they will express that love in every way but
physically, but a woman, in that time, couldn't/wouldn't have sex with
a man who is not only a poet but doesn't have a penny to his name and
by all appearances is being kept by an older man, a mentor, a patron,
in all ways but sexually.

Abbie Cornish does a fine job as the young woman in love with the poet John Keats, played by Ben Whishaw and she has one scene that should move you to tears but it is the only
scene in a two hour movie that will affect you. Paul Schneider, playing
the mentor, brings a strong presence to his role as Mr. Brown and all
the supporting players are up to par.

For a supposedly moving romantic movie I felt myself very unmoved.