Too self-conscious to woo Roxanne himself, wordsmith Cyrano de Bergerac helps young Christian nab her heart through love letters.
Chuck says:
Unabashedly romantic, Joe Wright’s “Cyrano” embraces its romantic ideal and runs with it. Based on the 2019 off-Broadway musical written by Erica Schmidt, which starred her husband Peter Dinklage, this is an ambitious undertaking that uses Edmond Rostand’s classic play as its spine, certain characters and incidents trimmed away, contemporary dialogue surrounding the original’s more famous lines. Shot in Sicily, this is a lush production that benefits greatly from this city’s historic architecture, bathed in a soft golden hue provided by cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. It’s the sort of movie you let wash over you, drinking in every lovely moment.
For those of you who slept through your high school literature classes, a brief recap of the plot is in order. The setting is 17th century France and the country is at war. A master swordsman, brilliant writer and leader of a company of cadets in the guard, Cyrano is a hopeless romantic whose fatal flaw is his pride. Self-conscious of his diminutive size- a change from the original – he has come to terms with his small stature, makes light of it but brokers no insults where it is concerned. He’s been in love with his childhood friend Roxanne (Haley Bennett) for years but has kept this a secret, afraid she will laugh at and brush him aside. She’s in love with Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) who, ironically is a cadet in Cyrano’s company. Though handsome, he has a hard time expressing himself. Knowing it will make Roxanne happy, Cyrano writes letters for Christian, expressing his love for her so effectively she’s swept away. Thus, literature’s greatest love triangle is born.
All of the familiar scenes are here – the opening duel in the theater in which our hero spouts poetry while dispatching his foe, the balcony scene where Cyrano speaks as Christian from the shadows to an enchanted Roxanne, the devastating conclusion in which the lie that has trapped them all is revealed – bolstered by songs by Aaron and Bryce Dessner, which are a mixed bag.
Be that as they may, when they work, they soar; Roxanne expresses her longing to be loved in the gorgeous “Someone to Say,” the lament of doomed soldiers is movingly conveyed in “Wherever I Fall,” while the showstopper is “Every Letter” as it espouses the power of Cyrano’s amorous words, a cascade of his letters raining down on the three principals.
To be sure, the play’s been adapted numerous times on stage and screen, so much so that doing so again seems a folly. Yet, there’s an urgency here captured by the three leads that brings a vitality to the material making it seem alive and fresh. Bennett, who has a lovely voice, and Harrison Jr. infuse their characters with a sense of youthful optimism, giving us a couple who are eager to love and be loved, sure their relationship with bring them all the happiness they will ever need. This approach raises the stakes of the dangerous game they’re playing, the characters’ highs and lows becoming more poignant in the process.
As for Dinklage, he’s no singer but his voice isn’t why he’s here. He’s here to break your heart, which he does completely. Conveying his character’s pain and longing with a glance, slight hitch in his voice or wry laugh, you feel his pain, which you can’t help but think is drawn from some personal experiences. He also brings a nobility to Cyrano which is the key to the role. He’s not to be pitied, conveying the character’s strength the key to his performance. Gorgeous and heartfelt, “Cyrano” earns your tears.
3 1/2 Stars
Pam says:
I’m in the minority on this one. I struggled through every minute of this film as it played with the underlying core of the original “Cyrano De Bergerac,” a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand, and turned it into a musical. Perhaps it’s the musical aspect that threw me from the very beginning, pulling me out of the moment and focusing on the musicality of the stars. While Dinklage is an incredible performer and actor, the singing aspect was disheartening. Pairing this with the monotone shades of beige surrounding each and every backdrop, and this becomes visually and auditorily challenging. Both Bennet and Harrison captured my attention in recent films as they portrayed characters who were real and complex, but in “Cyrano,” never did the young couple capture my heart as the intentions felt contrived.
1 1/2 stars
