Eight ears ago Abbie Cornish spent her first Cannes Film Festival as a backpacker, sleeping in a friend’s hotel room.

On Friday night the 26-year-old looked every bit the movie star as she stepped onto the red carpet for the opening of the world’s most prestigious film festival, on the French Riviera.

Wearing a lavender gown by Australian designer Toni Maticevski, Cornish lived up to her promise as the leader of Australia’s next generation of film stars.

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Also yesterday was the world premiere of Bright Star. Abbie attended the film’s premiere and looked radiant and regal in a lavender gown and her hair swept up. Miss Cornish looks so polished, and gorgeous! You can now view over 100 images from the event, with thanks to Mariana for many HQ pictures.

GALLERY LINKS:
- Events: 2009 Cannes Film Festival – Bright Star Premiere

The first reviews of Bright Star are in! Variety calls Abbie’s performance outstanding, which is quite a compliment in my book!

With brown hair pulled tightly back and a tad more filled out than before, Cornish is made to look more plain than she actually is, which better emphasizes the importance of Fanny’s character for Keats. The majority of her performance’s success rests in her eyes, which are remarked upon by Brown for their amber hue and which, one senses, see and process so much. All of Campion’s films center upon strong, complicated women, and Cornish’s Fanny takes her place among the most memorable of them.

Source: Variety

Australian actress Abbie Cornish, in a career-defining role, shoulders the story’s dramatic burden. Her Fanny Brawne, grounded and forthright, is initially more interested in sewing than poetry – by Keats or anyone else. But gradually she becomes enthralled by him.

Source: Telegraph

Abbie Cornish is magnetic as the headstrong 18-year-old muse who shyly teases Keats about the quality of his verse. There’s a dash of Nicole Kidman about her performance, and the way she can never quite hide the emotions raging behind her eyes.

Source: The Times

Today’s the day that the long awaited Bright Star will be unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival and Abbie is there to promote the film together with co-star Ben Whishaw and director Jane Campion. They attended the photocall for the film earlier today. Abbie looked lovely in a beautiful sleeveless white dress and matching open-toe heels. Gorgeous!!

GALLERY LINKS:
- Events: 2009 Cannes Film Festival – Bright Star Photocall

Bob Berney and Bill Polhad’s new, still-unnamed U.S. distribution outfit has made its first announced buy, acquiring all U.S. rights to director Jane Campion’s Cannes competish pic Bright Star.

Set in the early 19th century, Star is based on the true story of the passionate but ill-fated love affair between English Romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. While the relationship inspired some of Keats’ greatest poetry, the affair was condemned by English society.

Bright Star, which was also scripted by Campion, will be released by Pathe in France on July 22 and in the U.K. by Warner Bros., with whom Pathe inked a strategic distribution deal in March.

Pathe Intl. is handling international sales.

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