About the film (courtesy of United Artists Releasing):
A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her – and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.).
It was not until I looked deeper into Cyrano de Bergerac that I discovered the impressive amount of adaptions of the French poet, Edmond Rostand’s play which was published in 1897. Since that time, there have been more than twenty film adaptations, both traditional and more derivative. Director Joe Wright puts his creative touch on the classic story in the hopes that breathe new life into an old familiar story.
Peter Dinklage has been afforded the luxury in making this lead character in Cyrano unique to him, much in the away that Steve Martin was able to achieve in Roxanne (1987). Joe Wright opts for more of a traditional time setting and apparel while being progressive on the acting talents and the singing. You know this is also a musical, right?
Quite honestly, it is the musical portion of Cyrano that sets this adaption up for success by changing spoken poetic words into snappy, melodic lyrics. Going in, I was slightly skeptical that Peter Dinklage would be able to hold his own in this type of feature. It turns out that he’s a HUGE part of why this approach works so well. His performances come off so naturally that you’d think this was his background. He’s no Hugh Jackman, but he is a very pleasant surprise.
Haley Bennett, who plays the love interest, Roxanne, is another strong performer. She is delightful and light as air as she waltzes across the screen scene after scene with adoration being thrown towards her from different directions. This now brings me to Kelvin Harrison Jr., who plays Christian. As his character finds his voice, you’ll appreciate his charm as he becomes more of a focal point. The chemistry between this trio makes for an enjoyable experience.
Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Dolan and Ben Mendelsohn assist in rounding out a fairly solid cast, albeit not huge names. Cyrano contains a little of everything – romance, humor, singing, fighting, humor – to keep the 124 minute love story afloat. Due to the quick wit and banter that went on like wildfire, the vibe of the movie was mostly fun and upbeat. This all made for an overall very pleasant time reliving a tale that’s been told over and over and over again.
You can finally see the Oscar-nominated Cyrano in theaters everywhere across the country. Check it out.
