Playing Fanny Brawne in writer-director Jane Campion’s film “Bright Star,” Abbie Cornish has what might be considered an unenviable task: persuading audiences that her character, a headstrong, stylish young woman in 18th Century England, is passionately in love with poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) even though neither of them can show it, and that their love is one for the ages even though it remains chaste. That she pulled if off it evidenced by reviews that are for the most part raves, significant Oscar buzz, and high-profile fans like Quentin Tarantino, who sent Campion a recently-leaked love note to the film that included phrases like “I loved this!!!” and “Never has heartache been so realistically and movingly portrayed as Abbie taking to her bed.”
Cornish came to L.A. from the Vancouver set of Zack Synder’s “Sucker Punch” to do interviews on an auspicious day (though she’d hardly describe it as such): it was the day “Amelia” opened to savage reviews that may have knocked Hilary Swank out of the best-actress race, in the process transforming the 27-year-old Australian from an Oscar longshot into a strong contender.
Have you seen the letter that Quentin Tarantino wrote to Jane Campion, raving about “Bright Star”?
I’ve heard about it. I haven’t actually seen it.
Were you surprised to find that he was such a fan?
(laughs) No, ‘cause I’d already seen his enthusiasm. When I was in Cannes, I got into an elevator, and Quentin was in there. He’s such a great director, and I’ve loved so many of his films, that I had to introduce myself to him.
I said, “Quentin, my name’s Abbie. I think you’re a great director, and I just wanted to introduce myself to you.” And he shook my hand, and we made some conversation, and he’s like, “What are you here for?” I said, “I’m here for a little film I did with Jane Campion called ‘Bright Star,’” and his eyes just lit up and his arms started going. He’d literally just come from a screening, and he was so excited about this movie. I’ll never forget that moment.
So he’d just come from your movie, but he didn’t recognize you?
Didn’t recognize me, no. Funny. He loved the movie so much. Really, really loved it.
One of the reasons that “Bright Star” seemed unlikely to be a Tarantino favorite is that it’s so restrained. In that era, Fanny was allowed to let her despair and loss show – but earlier in the film, when she and Keats are falling in love, she’s not really permitted to display those feelings. Was that tricky to calibrate – here’s what she’s feeling, but here’s what she can show?
Yeah. But I kind of enjoyed how complex that made everything. It’s about the ability to express without words, without physical contact – and about this lingering sensation that moments would have, the ominous presence of this thing that they had growing between each other that wasn’t physicalized.
