Men vs. Women: Defining Tastes

Abbie Cornish is Fanny Browne, a woman's woman in 'Bright Star"^

I'm gonna get some crap about being a sexist for this, but here goes:

There are some movies that define the genders. "Bright Star," the story of John Keats and Fannie Brawne's infatuation, is just about as good an example as I can find. Women hope the movie will never end. Men become certain it won't.

This is one of those "romantic poet gonna die from consumption" movies where we're given all this dreamy romance--the rationale for which is barely explained--for two hours and the wasted-away hero coughs up blood and croaks. Keats is hardly an admirable figure, a man kept by his friend whose belief is that Keats' poetic talent needs to be developed by lying on the floor "musing." Ben Whishaw's Keats is appropriately scrawny and delicate. Not my kind of hero.

His great love--with whom he shares about six kisses--is a tough, opinionated seamstress who drools on him when she's not fawning over him or breaking down completely because he hasn't written her a letter. When Fanny Brawne learns of Keats' death, she, of course crumbles like old bread, but this scene is actually touching in its power (as delivered by Abbie Cornish). Didn't save the movie for me, though, except that I saw the end coming and started breathing again.

Difficult as it might be, guys, take your honey to see this one. We almost never get more than a point for any consideration (including a new Mercedes), but this one'll ring up a good five for you.