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Bright Star: A Vibrant Love Story

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:30:43 -0700

I remember reading the poet John Keats's work as a college student, and I very specifically recall the page-long description of his life. Two facts dominate his bio: that he died young and that he fell in love with the girl next door, Fanny Brawne. It was obvious that a romantic love story existed in that bare-bones text - and filmmaker Jane Campion has brought it to life in Bright Star.

Campion's film is the gorgeous and tragic story of Keats and Brawne. She doesn't merely set her movie in the early 1800s England and leave it there, she gives you an appreciation for a time when literature was exalted and marriage was a financial transaction.

To hear what I thought about the film, just read more.

While the Internet provides access to every medium of entertainment, hearing the characters' fervor and esteem for poetry made me fantasize about living in this quieter era. Helping my cause are the swoon-worthy ways that lovers had to express their devotion while still remaining chaste. Though their love goes unconsummated, they achieve an even higher level of intimacy. One of his best poems is written for and about her - the "bright star" of the film's title.

As leading man John Keats, Ben Whishaw jettisons memories of his handful of supporting character credits (and one unsettling lead role). His character is sensitive and introspective to a fault, but Whishaw delivers a sexy, captivating performance.

The force that really carries the movie is Abbie Cornish's portrayal of Fanny Brawne; the film belongs to her and her emotional portrayal of the girl left behind. She makes you feel every stage of her involvement with Keats, from crush to infatuation to heartbreak when she fears she's been forgotten - and finally, to devastation when she loses her beloved to death. It's almost unbelievable that Brawne was supposed to have been seen as a silly girl only interested in fashion and flirting, because Cornish plays her so earnestly and with so much depth.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Paul Schneider and his portrayal of Keats's best friend, curmudgeonly fellow writer Charles Armitage Brown. I've been anxious to see Schneider in a meatier role since All the Real Girls - while he's cute in things like Parks and Recreation, he gets to shine as an actor in Bright Star. A full-on Scottish brogue isn't the only thing that Schneider uses to distance himself from his lighter work; he's charmingly loathsome as Brown, picking apart Fanny's every move. But when Keats's health is threatened, Brown's love for his friend overcomes his hard exterior to as he nurses Keats day and night.

Even if history couldn't do the same for Keats and Brawne, the love in Bright Star, platonic or romantic, lifts you up.

Jon Hamm Is a High Roller

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:30:24 -0700

It's always a good morning when you wake up to Jon Hamm news! The dreamy Mad Men star is set to leave Madison Avenue for a bit to join the cast of Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch. He'll join Vanessa Hudgens, Jena Malone, and Abbie Cornish in a story that centers around a girl (played by Emily Browning) in a mental institution. Trapped there by her stepfather, she has five days to escape and avoid a lobotomy.

Details on Hamm's character are still under wraps, and all we know at this point is that he'll be named "High Roller." I have to admit I wasn't particularly interested in this project before, but I'll follow Jon Hamm pretty much anywhere. What about you - are you excited to see Jon shed Don Draper's suit again?

Movie Preview: Jane Campion's Bright Star

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:30:49 -0700

Director Jane Campion won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for The Piano (she was nominated for Best Director as well, losing out to Steven Spielberg for Schindler's List), and the trailer for her next film, Bright Star, already has some tongues wagging about "Oscar bait." The rich, dreamy quality to the film is certainly appealing, and the two stars at the center of the story, Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw, make for a sweet romantic pair. Whishaw plays the poet John Keats, "the dreamer," who falls in love with "a realist," Fanny Browne (Cornish).

The trailer is already lovely on its own; I can't wait to see the whole movie when it opens Sept. 18 (here in San Francisco, anyway). To take a peek at Bright Star, read more.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:30:57 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the titles below you can also rent The Ruins starring Jena Malone and the sixth season of Monk.

Stop-Loss
Stop-Loss joins an ever-growing list of Iraq war movies that bit the dust at the box office. This has little to do with the quality of the films and probably more to do with folks not looking for difficult subject matter when they head to the movie theater. But while director Kimberly Peirce's follow up to Boys Don't Cry isn't flawless, it is well worth your time.

Starring Ryan Philippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish and a scene-stealing Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the movie centers around a group of friends and family members in Texas struggling with their loved ones in the military who return from serving in Iraq only to be called back.

Special features include 11 deleted scenes, commentary by director Kimberly Peirce and co-writer Mark Richard, and a featurette titled, "A Day in Boot Camp."

One more fun choice so read more.

Psych: Season 2
The men of Psych are quirky and cute together, so it's no wonder that the USA show has built up a following over the years. Now, just in time for the third season premiere, you can find the second season on DVD.

If you're new to Psych, here's a summary of the show's premise: "Psych is a quick-witted comedy/drama starring James Roday as young police consultant Shawn Spencer who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that Santa Barbara PD detectives think he’s psychic. Psych also stars Dulé Hill as Shawn's best friend and reluctant sidekick, Gus, and Corbin Bernsen as his disapproving father, Henry, who ironically was the one who honed his son's 'observation' skills as a child."

Season two included a ton of great guest stars including: Tim Curry, Gina Gershon (as a funny reality show judge), Lou Diamond Phillips, John Amos, Ernie Hudson, Phylicia Rashad, Thelma Hopkins, and Kevin Sorbo. Special features include deleted scenes, audio commentaries, Podcast commentary, and the all-important gag reel.

Stop-Loss: Overwrought but Good-Hearted

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:33:21 -0700

It's an oft-lamented fact that movies about the Iraq war don't do very well - either in box office sales or with audience favor in general. There are plenty of reasons for this, but the fact is it's a challenge for filmmakers to put out movies about a controversial war that isn't yet over. With Stop-Loss, the filmmakers have attempted to make the topic more appealing by getting MTV on board, using popular good-looking young actors and featuring plenty of quick-edit montages set to rap songs.

The main characters in the movie are also relateable and familiar, just regular guys, playing with their techie devices, engaging in silly banter. This is presented right from the start, with a mock-amateur video in which a group of soldiers jostle each other, trade good-natured insults and sing along together as one of them, Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), plays his guitar. The action moves quickly to a bloody, violent conflict into which Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Philippe) inadvertently leads his group of soldiers. Some of the men don't make it out alive, one is severely injured and all the others are thoroughly messed up by the experience. This is the basis for all that comes afterward, so read more.

Brandon returns to his hometown a decorated hero, along with his childhood best friend Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum) and the young Tommy Burgess. Relieved, he begins settling back into civilian life when he is informed that he's being sent back to Iraq via stop-loss, the US policy by which soldiers who have completed their terms of service can be called back to serve again, sometimes referred to as a back-door draft. Confused and furious, Brandon lashes out at his superiors and then goes AWOL and hits the road to Washington DC to discuss the matter with a senator he knows. Of course, the senator won't interact with a fugitive soldier, and Brandon's options narrow down to two: go back to Iraq, or leave the country and never see his family again.

I've heard people label this as an antiwar, antimilitary film when that's only half-right. It's antiwar, for sure, but it's fiercely promilitary. The film shows military families in the most respectful, reverent, and sympathetic light. Director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) has a tenderness for these families, for Americana and cowboy culture, draping her Texas in blue and yellow hues and a warm, downhome atmosphere. These are good people, upright citizens, solid in their belief that it's right to serve one's country no matter what. This belief is challenged by the stop-loss policy, and this challenge - especially since they think they've been doing their time all these years, only to be told it's not quite enough - makes them angry. Very, very angry.

Anger is the key word for this movie, in fact. This is no deft, subtle, poignant piece of art but an explosion of rage, indignation, and violence. Those going to the film thinking there might be a strong love story involved - there isn't. The friendships between the men are intriguing and deeply rooted, but ultimately everything takes a backseat to just this blind fury Brandon feels over his lose-lose situation. Despite the muddled nature of this film, the helplessness of Brandon's dilemma clearly comes through. What's refreshing about this film is that this helplessness reflects the state of political affairs in Iraq on a grander scale. Other movies (Lions for Lambs, for example) may insert some heartfelt sadness amidst the two hours of people discussing politics, but this one does the opposite - a movie full of anger, machismo, and despair peppered with bits of politics. It's not a great movie. The accents are mostly terrible and the performances are not the best (except for the unbearably pitiable Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is excellent). But it is a powerful salute to our troops, and brings an important issue to light.

To see the trailer and more clips from Stop-Loss, check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Movie Preview: Stop-Loss

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Stop-Loss, starring Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, examines the difficult government policy by which soldiers who have completed their terms of service can be called back to serve again. Phillippe plays a soldier who refuses to return to service, despite being recalled to duty. It's a prickly issue, and so far I'm impressed by how the trailer makes it look like the movie doesn't shy away from examining the various sides of the matter. Stop-Loss doesn't open until March 28, but it's worth checking out the trailer if you read more

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Link Time! 10/2

BuzzSugar — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:29:39 -0700

Popwatch wonders, who's the weakest link - acting-wise - on "Heroes"?
TV Squad wonders how Pam Beesly suddenly got so hot on "The Office."
Cinematical will soon be kicking off its annual Halloween costume contest, so which movie character will you dress up as?
Pop Candy points to behind-the-scenes videos from The Darjeeling Limited.
The Pie Maker took a visit to the fantastical set of "Pushing Daisies."
Bella has a behind-the-scenes video of Shania Twain's ad for her fragrance Starlight.
TV Filter brings word of a campaign to keep Jorja Fox on "CSI."
Rolling Stone's Rock & Roll Daily has a track-by-track preview of the new Radiohead album, while I Guess I'm Floating picks out five songs Radiohead should cover.
The TV Addict has invented a graph for charting the highs and lows of "Desperate Housewives."
Meanwhile, TiFaux has reduced "Grey's Anatomy" to a Mad Lib.
The MTV Movies Blog chatted with Abbie Cornish, who will be starring in a film about the poet John Keats, playing Keats' love interest.
Vulture rounds up 10 commercials that would make worse shows than the Geico cavemen.

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