Cyrano

I would have seen Cyrano much sooner. I should have seen Cyrano much sooner. But my only option was a $19.99 digital rental everywhere since MGM kept delaying its wide release. It's now a week after the Oscars, which saw this film nominated for Costume Design, and it's finally theatrically available locally. Let's finally see what everyone else has seen.

Erica Schmidt adapted her off-Broadway musical based on Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. Schmidt's Cyrano substitutes the original's elongated snout for her husband, Peter Dinklage's, compact stature. In either form, Cyrano is a master poet & soldier with more-than-enough swordsmanship to back up his boasts. He shows this off when he disrupts a play to chase off his least favorite actor and duels a heckler to the death.

His dear friend Roxanne (Haley Bennett) watches the duel with her suitor, De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn). She immediately falls for Christian (Kelvin Harrison, Jr), a new recruit in Cyrano's garrison. Christian feels the same, but he lacks Cyrano's way with words. Cyrano offers to supply him with some. Cyrano watches as Christian and Roxanne exchange love letters. But what will he do when they finally meet in person? What if De Guiche finds out?

There's a lot of panache in director Joe Wright's technical crew. Jacqueline Durran and Massimo Cantini Parrini's stylish costumes deservedly earned praise. But cinematographer Seamus McGarvey was also worthy of attention. We get several stunning long shots as the camera makes its way through crowds. It stays on Cyrano as he makes his way through ten men in a rousing action scene. A few crowd numbers turn surreal with its methodical choreography (some dancers even float). That surreality vanishes when De Guiche deploys the garrison to war. Their fears of mortality are treated solemnly, though we get a daring scene with Cyrano stealing apples from the enemy.

The music in this musical was composed by Aaron & Bryce Dessner, Matt Berringer (of The National) and Carin Besser. A lot of the songs and score are appropriately romantic themes. The opening number, Somone to Say, and its reprise, along with a few of Cyrano's personal songs, are musical soliloquies as the leads ponder their romantic situations. That likely explains the aforementioned surreal choreography. Cyrano's battle music is a rousing theme. Wherever I Fall is a haunting number. Overall, the music is pretty serious even in the fairly lighthearted first half.

Dinklage is compelling as Cyrano. He's got an ego, but he's charitable to the (figuratively) little man and respectful to his opponents. His every word is full of eloquent bravado. His crippled self-esteem is evident when the subject turns to Roxanne. You'll certainly beg for him, as much as his pal Le Bret (Bashi Salhuddin) does, to spit it out to Roxanne. You'll feel it near the end when Cyrano tries to deny it with his final breaths. At least Roxanne reciprocates at the end.

There's a good cast sharing the stage with Cyrano. Christian is delightfully dorky, while Roxanne's romanticism is enthralling. You'll get some fun when they officially meet. Cyrano speaks for Christian at one point, and she can't recognize him. Don't think about that too much. De Guiche is perfectly slimy, while his good side is underdeveloped. Mark Benton makes the most of his one scene as Montfleury, the target of Cyrano's scorn. Keep an eye out for Glen Hansard as the first singer in Wherever I Fall.

Cyrano will make it to Blu-Ray/DVD later this month. Streaming prices should go down then. So, anyone who missed, or was deprived of, the chance to see it in theatres can finally see it then. It's a strong romantic drama and a great rendition of an oft-told story. There's plenty of panache in Schmidt's script. See it when you get the chance. It's a great use of 124 minutes.