Bright Star (Jane Campion, 2009)

[Jeff]

If Sony has plans for a Blu-Ray, they sure didn't include them in the release today, which doesn't bode well. Very disappointing, as Matt was absolutely right about this beautiful film. Maybe if it gets some awards attention, they'll do one down the line.

[criterionsnob]

Surely there will be a Blu-ray, no?

Blu-ray.com seems to think there will be a blu released a week earlier than the DVD.

[Jeff]

Sony issued a correction. Definitely no Blu.

[Matt]

I wrote an e-mail to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment ([email protected]) and to Apparition ([email protected]) to register my disappointment. I got a canned response from Sony, but it was still a response.

[zedz]

I thought this film was a no-brainer for a big awards push, but it looks like Sony have no idea what they have on their hands.

[Matt]

To be fair, Sony is only the video distributor. It's Apparition, the US theatrical releasing company, that would handle an Oscar campaign. They ought to know what they're doing since Bob Berney--who no doubt had a hand in the Oscar campaigns for Pan's Labyrinth and La Vie en Rose as president of Picturehouse--is a co-founder.

[Le Feu Follet]

I wasn't very moved by Bright Star. It just had too many elements that irritated me. As soon as I saw Keats I knew he was up for romance, he was just too good looking and that type, with not enough ordinariness. Then there was all the stuff about her ploy to have poetry lessons. I thought 'poetry lessons? - that's barmy', which is what Keats told Fanny on the first 'lesson'. It looks pretty good up on the screen, but I don't think it is very moving. After seeing it I got out my DVD of An Angel At My Table and now I'm convinced that Jane Campion has lost it. Janet Frame lives in my imagination much more vividly than Fanny or Keats. I thought In The Cut was not bad and was unjustly dismissed by the critics.

[Matt]

I'm trying to figure out if I am at all surprised at the total lack of awards attention to this film. Oh, hey, the Broadcast Film Critics Association nominated it for best costume design!

[zedz]

I'm trying to figure out if I am at all surprised at the total lack of awards attention to this film.

I thought that the standard Costume Drama / Biopic qualification would overrule the Actually Really Good disqualification, but evidently not.

[Finch]

Gary reviews it and it does look extremely good for standard definition:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDRevie ... t_star.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just a shame Sony couldn't record a commentary with Campion or put together a feature-length documentary as there is surely more on set footage and interviews available than what's on that disc. Still, barring a Blu from another distributor (not Fox though who also only announced a DVD for the UK), it looks like a must have for the A/V.

[brendanjc]

I'm pretty annoyed to find out that Sony isn't releasing a BD for this, their original announcement indicated that they would. I wonder if the combo of limited box office + lack of early award buzz killed it.

[Michael]

I also find it very hard to understand Bright Star getting criminally neglected during this award season so far. It is not Austen but Austen has been gaining much popularity lately with younger generations (thanks to the recent wave of Austen movie adapations) but Bright Star being a literary period romance complete with breathtaking set pieces, cinematography, costumes, gorgeous lovers, etc, I thought it was a shoo-in for moors of award nominations.

Bright Star: the greatest film I saw from last year. So much better than anything else Campion directed. Maybe the way the film was promoted was crappy. How could the mediocre Atonement receive so many nominations while this doesn't?

But then again why should I care about awards? I've said this before here that every time I watch The New World which failed to receive any major nominations, I get reminded that everything about awards is utterly meaningless.

[jojo]

Why do studios always pick the more generic looking posters for their DVD covers?

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Why do studios always pick the more generic looking posters for their DVD covers?

Easier marketing?

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I'm pretty annoyed to find out that Sony isn't releasing a BD for this, their original announcement indicated that they would. I wonder if the combo of limited box office + lack of early award buzz killed it.

Fox apparently announced and canceled a UK BD as well, so I'm thinking this may not actually have anything to do with Sony.

[swo17]

Pardon my ignorance, but how could a story set in the 19th century benefit from Blu treatment?

[mfunk9786]

Pardon my ignorance, but how could a story set in the 19th century benefit from Blu treatment?

=D>

[King Prendergast]

With BRIGHT STAR, Campion, almost as if in direct response to Sobchack's remarks on THE PIANO in CARNAL THOUGHTS, creates one of the most phenomenologically affecting narrative films in some time; Keats' disquisition on "luxuriating in the lake" of poetry synecdochically allegorizes the experience of the film itself.Cornish's resplendent performance--like no other since that of Faye Wong in CHUNGKING EXPRESS--produces immediate infatuation; indeed, no current actress so thoroughly dominates the sensory-motor-schema save perhaps Argento--the dark, seductive moon to Cornish's demure star.

[Fiery Angel]

You were doing great until you ruined it by mentioning Argento.

[King Prendergast]

You were doing great until you ruined it by mentioning Argento.

I'm with Shaviro on this score: http://www.shaviro.com/Blog/?p=751" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[eerik]

There will be a Blu-ray version released on 29th April in Australia. Although I loved the film, I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay 40 Australian dollars (plus shipping?) for a regular Blu-ray release. :-k

[LQ]

Although the love story didn't completely envelop me, I savored this film very much. It was brimming with enthralling, intoxicating, yet very naturally intimated shots, beautiful visual poetry to complement the insertions of Keats' own. Matt said it well, this is a capital-R Romantic movie, and a very fine one at that.

The dialogue was quite witty too, I found myself smiling in appreciation of the script often. Fanny's perfectly delivered "suitcase brown" made the grin especially wide. I'll echo the praise for Abbie Cornish, I had never seen her in anything prior and she really impressed here.

[Finch]

Here's hoping that these won't get cancelled at the last minute: Bright Star to be released on Blu-Ray in Australia end of April and in France on 19 May (hopefully no forced French subs). Quite why Pathe would cancel the UK Blu only to release it months later in a French edition is anyone's guess.

[Matt]

And let's hope at least one of those releases is region-free.

[Finch]

The Aussie Blu has been pushed back to June 3 (seems like no one wants to release this thing!). Pathe's French version is still on target for May.