Sixteen years after The Piano Jane Campion has found renewed inspiration in a tragic romance to match the haunting intensity of that Palme D’Or winner. A surprisingly exhilarating account of the short but intense affair between the poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his spirited neighbour Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), this is a powerful, unapologetic testament to love. The couple simmer with mystery and desire as they embark on their intense and poignantly unconsummated relationship: Keats had neither the means nor the career to financially support a wife. Every scene is filmed with a gentle precision, a loving care that creates an overwhelming sense of emotion. A beautiful, slow-burning and sensitive film that tenderly rips your heart in two.

Forget The Piano. Jane Campion's calm, subtle and measured film about Keats is the best of her career. Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.