Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong
Is there anyone on the planet that is unfamiliar with the story of Cyrano de Bergerac? It may be one of the most romantic and heartbreaking stories ever produced by quill to papyrus and tells the story of the poet and swordsman in 17th century Paris whose physical “deformity” (a rather large proboscis) precludes him from pursuing his one true love, the beautiful Roxane, because he feels he is ugly and unworthy of her. When Cyrano learns she is in love with Christian, a handsome nobleman with limited language skills, he offers to write love letters and poetry on Christian’s behalf to woo Roxane. Roxane and Christian’s romance blossoms culminating with a glorious balcony scene which, for me, far surpasses the one in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. This classic story has had many cinematic versions. It won an Oscar for Jose Ferrer in the 1950s and Gerard Depardieu received his one and only Academy Award nomination in the definitive filmed version from France. The theme of the story has been re-interpreted countless times: from Steve Martin’s comedic “Roxanne” to a gay version “The Half of It”. But I don’t think I have ever seen a musical adaptation of this classic tale until now.
CYRANO stars Peter Dinklage and the character is now reimagined as a dwarf rather than having a huge schnoz and was created by his real-life wife, Erica Schmidt. It was first performed on an off-Broadway stage a few years ago and brought to the big screen by the extremely-talented Director Joe Wright. The stunning Haley Bennett plays Roxane and the handsome Kelvin Harrison Jr. portrays Christian. The powerful and sweeping performances by this dynamic trio of Actors in only one reason to catch this amazing movie on a big screen.
As seen in movies as “Pride and Prejudice”, “Atonement” and “Anna Karenina”, Joe Wright is a premium Director in Period Piece Drama, and here his camera bring dazzling life and depth. Filmed in Sicily (yes, that is Mount Etna in the background as well), the atmospheric Cinematography gloriously captures the heartbreaks and joys of a doomed romantic relationship and its use of shadows or illuminated solely by candlelight is visually masterful. Kudos to Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. And Costume Designer, Massimo Cantini Parrini, should start practicing acceptance speeches.
I have been a fan of Peter Dinklage since I first saw him in “The Station Agent”. Whereas I have yet to watch the TV Series with him and dragons, he has always been impressive in other roles and as the lead in CYRANO, he transfixes every scene with power and vulnerability. Whereas his singing voice may not be up to snuff, his acting chops are beyond reproach. Haley Bennett gives a fiery, passionate performance and her contemporary look is in beautiful contrast with the 17th century backdrop. She sings with precision and dexterity. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is the one of the most exciting performers out there today and I have yet to see him give less than a stellar performance. The almost unrecognizable Ben Mendelsohn, as deGuiche, adds another gold star to his already impressive resume. He also has the best song in CYRANO.
Ah, yes…the Soundtrack. Whereas the lyrics are mostly ingenious with phenomenal wordplays, the music is rather uninspired and border on monotony. Let’s just say, you won’t walk away humming anything you might have heard, or to paraphrase an old joke, you will walk away humming the scenery! That said, it is a minor caveat that doesn’t hinder the boldness and beauty that is CYRANO.
Universal Pictures Canada release CYRANO February 25, 2022.
*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocos if seeing this in theatre.*
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