Search - Cyrano on DVD

B.J. W. (analogkid01) from CHICAGO, IL
Reviewed on 4/12/2024...

Edmond Rostand wrote "Cyrano de Bergerac" in 1897. Since then there have been literally dozens of film adaptations, notably the 1950 adaptation starring Jose Ferrer which was very faithful to the source material, and the 1987 adaptation starring Steve Martin which deviated wildly from the source material, namely by not killing off any of the major characters.

In 2021, writer Erica Schmidt adapted her stage production of Cyrano for film, and in the lead role cast her husband - Peter Dinklage. Instead of having a gargantuan proboscis, this Cyrano is simply...Peter Dinklage.

Oh, and - it's a musical!

This was actually a wonderful little film. Nothing too flashy, some parts are I think intentionally under-developed - which country is this in and who are they at war with and why? It doesn't matter. The story concerns the diminutive Cyrano and his unspoken love for his lifelong friend Roxanne, who in this production comes across as a little vain and shallow - I preferred Daryl Hannah's portrayal as Roxanne Kowalski the astronomer to this Roxanne being just "the woman in the story."

Roxanne, oblivious to Cyrano's love for her, has eyes for Christian, a newcomer to town and a new recruit in Cyrano's military regiment. Unfortunately, Christian is pretty dim-witted and cannot possibly live up to Roxanne's sapiosexual nature. Christian needs Cyrano to make him look intelligent; Cyrano needs Christian to make him look handsome.

Of course war breaks out and divides up our love triangle. Does Christian survive? Does Cyrano? I won't say.

I will say that I really enjoyed director Joe Wright's even hand. There are two shots in particular at the beginning which grabbed my attention: a lingering back-and-forth series of cuts between Roxanne and Christian when they first lock eyes which lasts for longer than you might expect, and another lingering shot on the face of a man Cyrano has stabbed in a swordfight. Cyrano gently holds him as he dies, and the viewer is able to sit in the moment instead of quickly cutting away.

The music as well isn't over-engineered - it's almost blank verse in its approach, with some songs that are just a few lines while others are more fully-developed. When they first started singing I had PTSD flashbacks to Joel Schumacher's Phantom of the Opera, but fortunately this movie was actually *good*. Both Dinklage and Haley Bennett (Roxanne) do their own singing, and Bennett sounds a lot like Laura Brannigan.

So yeah, a little more character development for Roxanne and Christian would've improved the film, but as it stands it's a pretty enjoyable watch.

Grade: B+

Walter K. (WalterKuzens) from CLACKAMAS, OR
Reviewed on 7/13/2022...

I had no idea this was a musical. The songs are completely forgettable, the singing I'd describe as halfway decent. It's a timeless tale that is well acted but the musical parts completely drag it down. Couldn't finish it.

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