Bright Star (film review)

This bitter-sweet, tender dramatisation of the love affair between English poet John Keats and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne, is exquisitely directed, written, photographed and acted. The two main leads, Abbie Cornish and Ben Wishaw, are particularly impressive and have great chemistry together, with many tender and beautifully captured love scenes between them. I say 'love scenes' and not 'sex scenes', but despite the lack of the latter Bright Star is brimming with sexuality. It's a bit like Pride And Prejudice in that respect. It also pulls no punches in depicting the hardships of early 19th century Britain; from the poverty and limited healthcare, to a women's lot to marry a rich husband out of necessity. Despite these circumstances, the love story within Bright Star has a very authentic feel to it, played out with lovely naturalism. A poignant, moving and affecting film that captures both the happiness and the pain that love can inspire. 8/10

The Family (film review)

With one or two exceptions, most notably Silver Linings Playbook, Robert de Niro's output has been far from admirable in the past ten or so years. Maybe he has been resting too much on his laurels. The Family fares no better. Resorting to crude stereotypes of Italian Americans and the French, this Luc Besson dark comedy focuses on an American family trying, unsuccessfully, to fit into French life after they enter an FBI witness protection programme. The script, by Besson, lacks subtlety, sharpness or flavour. The portrayal of the French are annoying assholes and Italian Americans as volatile and violent sociopaths provides very few, if any, laughs. A lot of the scenes just feel pointless and rather empty. For example, Michelle Pfeiffer's character visits a Catholic church and goes to confession at the request of the priest. She returns later to the church and the priest tells her to get out because her confession disturbed him so deeply. Why did Besson include this in the film? It adds nothing to the plot or themes of the film, and it is not funny. Maybe Besson just has a chip on his shoulder towards the Catholic Church. This sort of sloppy writing and direction is typical of The Family. Best to avoid. 4/10