PLOT: Plagued by his own fear to reveal his love, the witty and wise Cyrano de Bergerac assists a young soldier to woo the young woman they both adore.
REVIEW: You know that feeling when you see a film you instantly connect with and how inspiring that can be? That was my first reaction to the latest big-screen musical, Cyrano. This classic tale is given new life with songs written by musical group The National members Bryce and Aaron Dessner. And yet, I knew nearly nothing about the film going in. Frankly, I just appreciated the original productions of the timeless tale, including that adorable one with Steve Martin called Roxanne. While it may also have a few comic elements, filmmaker Joe Wright’s take on this lush and bold love story is unabashedly romantic. Starring Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Ben Mendelsohn, I frankly adored this ambitious and old-fashioned tale of unrequited love.
Peter Dinklage is Cyrano, a man of many talents. He is a soldier that can fight off a hundred men and write beautiful poetry that will delight and seduce those who hear or read it. Yet he cannot have the one thing he truly desires, the luminous Roxanne (Bennett), a vibrant young woman who longs for a romantic adventure. Continually hounded by the ultra-rich De Guiche (Mendelsohn) to marry her, Roxanne has other ambitions. Her hopes and dreams fall on the idea of love at first sight when she and the handsome stranger Christian (Harrison Jr.) lock eyes at the theatre. Having never met, she requests that Cyrano lookout for the man as Christian is one of the soldiers under his watch. Having made the promise to his beloved, Cyrano lends his words to the suitor to make him everything that someone like Roxanne would adore.
The character of Cyrano de Bergerac has a large nose. That’s how he is nearly always portrayed in the many iterations. However, this lively creation presents the man as a little person who has always had to fight harder to get respect. And Peter Dinklage is perfection here. The actor gives what may be his best performance to date as someone unwilling to tell the woman he loves how he feels, but he’s happy to force a bad theatre actor off the stage with an audience watching. He is prideful and brave yet lacks faith in what could happen if only his feelings for Roxanne were made clear. One moment early on, before his love is about to reveal her affections for Christian, there is a brief glimmer of hope when he believes she is about to say it is he that she adores. When it’s not, his face tells you everything. It’s a fantastic performance.
As for Haley Bennett, her take on Roxanne is perfect. The actress brings such life to what could be considered an incredibly vain character. Yet thanks to this fantastic performance, we instantly understand her. When she breaks into the stunning “I Need More,” it’s easy to see why she demands what she does from those she falls for. As well, Kelvin Harrison Jr., coming off of the terrific Waves and Luce, brings a sense of sweetness and charm to Christian. Each of the three main characters is flawed. And you may find the balcony scene where Haley and Peter emotionally reveal they are “Overcome” slightly hard to believe. Yet it is certainly mesmerizing and lovely. This is a tried and true romantic fable brought to life. That is part of its charm. It’s almost daring at how effortlessly it makes a sweeping romance shine with these three terrific performances.
As a fan of The National, it’s the music that conquered me. The gorgeous – and previously mentioned – “I Need More” and “Overcome” are both incredible moments. “Every Letter” is a glorious sequence featuring all three leads. The film based on the stage musical brings most of the same songs – and many of the players – to the big screen. While I’ve not seen the off-Broadway production, what Joe Wright has done is fully embrace the period with the incredible costumes and the stunning set design. It’s a marvelous film, and the final scene is beyond impressive. While we do see the occasional chorus break out into a tune, the music here is far more personal to the characters personally. One of the best scenes is the devastating “Wherever I Fall – Pt. 1” featuring the very talented Glen Hansard, Sam Amidon, and Scott Folan. Yes, this one gets a bit dark as well.
Interestingly, I decided to put Cyrano on my top spot this year, yet I’m only giving it a 9 out of 10. Technically, there were films last year that were perhaps more impressive and rated higher than a 9. Yet when it came down to it, it was this old-fashioned romantic fable that made me the happiest to be back in a movie theatre. The songs are engaging, the performances are a joy to watch, and the movie put a massive smile on my face. Even when the tragedy of this timeless tale plays out – yes folks, if you get teary-eyed during movies you will with this – it still somehow feels good to experience. Will it be for everyone? Nope. Not if you don’t like romantic movies, or you’re not a musical admirer. For all others, you may get swept away by this achingly sweet spin on the classic tale. Cyrano is currently playing in theatres today.
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