Like Nope, this was a film I checked on every few months after its theatrical release, waiting to see when it popped up on one of the streaming services I have. I was excited, if a little trepidatious, to see that it had finally turned up on Amazon Prime. I knew Peter Dinklage was going to kill it as a romantic lead and Joe Wright's direction was going to be gorgeous, but the fact that it was a musical made me a bit nervous; I wasn’t sure how well this adaptation would carry it off.
Cyrano de Bergerac is a bold man who lives by his wit and his words. A soldier and a poet, he uses his sword and his repartee in equal measure to attack those who would spurn him for his appearance. He’s self-assured in everything except his desperate love for his childhood friend Roxanne, who he’s convinced could never feel the same way about him. When Cyrano learns that Roxanne has herself fallen in love at first sight with Christian, a young recruit in his regiment, he takes up a duty to help the lad, who lacks the romantic way with words that Roxanne longs for. Through Christian, Cyrano pours out all the loving words for Roxanne that he's been afraid to tell her.
On the whole, I loved it. The script is beautiful, brimming with witty, soulful, and moving gems of dialogue. Cyrano and Roxanne may be the heavy hitters in that department, but plenty of the other characters get in on it as well. As expected, the film looks stunning, from the costumes to the direction to the exquisite use of light. As for the score, I admit that not many of the songs stood out that much during a first watch, but I feel like I'd find more character/individuality in them on further listens. I really like, though, that the songs aren't exactly "production" numbers. Instead, characters just softly start singing, sometimes with dialogue or bits of other scenes interspersed, and they end almost as quickly as they begin, with no self-conscious applause breaks. It gives the characters' songs a more intimate feel, even as the ensemble sometimes breaks into more cinematic choreography behind them.
While I’m plenty familiar with the story of Cyrano de Bergerac through cultural osmosis (and a Wishbone episode, of course!), this was actually the first full adaptation I’d seen of it. And I love the different themes that the film brings out. The way Cyrano’s insecurities and his pride get tangled up together to his detriment. The way it’s pointed out to him more than once that he can’t have a very high opinion of his “perfect” woman if he thinks she couldn’t look past his appearance to see his soul. The way Christian is also a casualty of this whole convoluted exchange—a perfectly decent if uncomplicated guy, it’s not his fault that Roxanne projects all her hopes for a romantic ideal onto him. And the “love triangle,” such as it is, is a compelling one due to the depth of feeling on all three sides. In particular, because Cyrano never sees himself as a genuine contender for Roxanne’s affections, he can’t fully see Christian as a rival, and it’s clear that he likes Christian even as the entire situation is tearing him up inside.
Haley Bennett is excellent as Roxanne. She's bright and witty and over-idealizes romance, but we also see the ways she's a survivor and has had to use her cleverness to make her way in the world, and I love the easy flow of wordplay between her and Cyrano in their scenes together. Bennet is also the strongest singer in the film, displaying beautiful control during the softer songs and moving power in the scenes where Roxanne is able to let loose. Kelvin Harrison Jr. makes for a sweet Christian: equal parts clumsily romantic, endearingly funny, and earnestly caring. Meanwhile, playing the selfish, shady Duke De Guiche is of course no stretch for Ben Mendehlson, but he does well with it. I hadn't realized he was in this movie, so it was fun to go, "Who is that?" and finally recognize him by his voice underneath the makeup and the wig. The film also features a brief appearance from Anjana Vasan (Amina from We Are Lady Parts!)
Finally, Peter Dinklage. What can I say? He is just sooooooo good in this. I love Cyrano's dashing, swaggering entrance, the easy confidence he projects as he simultaneously duels and composes a poem, proving he can insult himself far more capably than any sneering noble can. To go from such charm and self-assurance to his absolute conviction that Roxanne could never love him seems paradoxical, especially given how charismatic and handsome Dinklage is, but in the context of the setting and the story, you understand why. Despite the cavalier tone he takes in public about his "monstrous" appearance, we see how deeply he's internalized all those jabs and insults to never once consider that kind, intelligent Roxanne, who he thinks is perfect, could ever love him. An early highlight of the film is the scene where Roxanne tells Cyrano she’s in love with Christian. When she makes her “confession,” every single emotion slides over Dinklage's face as Cyrano finds himself frightfully daring to hope and then gets those hopes dashed in an instant.
No, he's not much of a singer, but his performance during the songs works for me. His quieter, husky performance is fitting for the character, because when Cyrano sings, it’s giving voice to the words he'd never dared to say aloud. It might be an odd comparison, but I’m reminded a little of Diego Luna's singing in The Book of Life—while neither Luna nor Dinklage are great singers, they both embody their characters so well that the acting and the emotions are enough to get them through it. (And I definitely warmed up to Luna's singing on repeat listens, so I imagine the same will be true of Dinklage.)
Warnings
Violence, sensuality, language (including ableist insults,) drinking, and thematic elements.
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