Movie Review: Cyrano

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent musical adaption of the classic story. 

There is a reason that the story of Cyrano de Bergrac still resonates even though the original play was written in 1897. That is that the tale is far more than just a romance, but themes that will always be universal. We all have had opportunities for things we truly wanted but were afraid to take a risk. We have all felt that certain things were never intended for us. And we have all let our pride get in the way of us trying something that might result in failure. Because of this the story is just as powerful and true today as when it was written. Even if this movie changes the reason for Cyrano's self-doubt from a large nose to being short, the message comes across quite powerfully in this film. Every important emotional beat hits perfectly and many of the scenes feel legitimately heart breaking. This is a film that will not only make you tear up but will do it in a way that feels completely real and honest. That is because director Joe Wright and screenwriter Erica Schimdt (in what is impressively her first screenwriting credit) fully understand the emotional power of the original story and make sure none of it is missing here. This movie also heavily depends on Peter Dinklage's performance as the title character. Luckily, he is fantastic in this role. He gives a truly moving and deeply human performance and once again shows what a great actor he is. 

The songs can be hit and miss. While some of them can be quite forgettable, there are two I really loved. Someone to Say is extremely catchy and will be stuck in my head for a while. Wherever I Fall is a very moving song and perfectly accompanies one of the most emotional scenes in the movie. Still these songs can't help but make me wish the rest of the songs were as good. One major fault for this movie however is how the songs are staged. The choreography seems out of place and adds little emotionally or visually to the songs we are hearing. Other times, it can feel like the movie suddenly turned into a music video when one of these songs begins and while they seem like well-made music videos they still feel out of place. 

Those faults however can't distract from how emotionally moving this film can be and with that in mind I highly recommend it.