Peter Dinklage playing Cyrano in a new film adaptation of the beloved story sounded like an excellent idea. Being directed by Joe Wright, who handled costume dramas such as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE so well, made the prospect sound even better. But a few minutes into the new CYRANO, it became clear it had a big problem: it’s a musical.
And not a very good musical at that. While there are those who are happy see everything adapted into a musical, this reviewer is firmly in the opposite camp. Not everything should be a musical, and the new CYRANO is exhibit one in that case.
Still, Peter Dinklage gives a moving, stellar performance as Cyrano de Bergerac in a musical adaptation that is less than stellar. There have been numerous stage and film versions of Edmond Rostand’s play, including Steve Martin’s 1987 contemporary, comic one ROXANNE, and a glorious French one, 1990’s CYRANO DE BERGERAC, starring Gerard Depardieu in his prime. Dinklage has the goods to top that famous performance, and actually does, if one is not too distracted by the mediocre musical numbers.
Personally, I love Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” and generally I am a sucker for all its various adaptations. I have nothing but pure admiration for the remarkably talented Peter Dinklage and I am also a fan of Joe Wright’s movies generally. But this musical CYRANO is an awkward thing, where the weak musical numbers interrupt the dramatic flow of the adventurous, tragic, romantic tale. Every time the drama builds up to a spell-binding, heart-wrenching arc with well-acted scenes, that spell is broken by a song.
The familiar play is full of romance, swordplay, wordplay, wit, and tragedy. Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) is an aristocrat serving as a soldier, a bold personality and multi-talented man known for his skills as a poet and duelist, as well as his intellect, taste and style. But Cyrano’s confidence undermined by his appearance, which makes him feel no woman could love him. References to his appearance often prompt duels.
Nonetheless, Cyrano is secretly in love with the beautiful, intellectual Roxanne (Haley Bennett), his distant cousin and childhood friend. Roxanne is skillfully avoiding the Count de Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn) who relentlessly pursues her with the intent to make her his mistress. Meanwhile, Roxanne has fallen for a handsome young soldier, Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), whom she has only seen from afar, and she seeks Cyrano’s help. Cyrano and Christian become a team to woo the beautiful Roxanne, with Christian’s good-looks and Cyrano’s beautiful words.
There are things that this Cyrano does get right. It was a brilliant idea to cast the gifted Peter Dinklage in the role of tragic Cyrano. Usually it is Cyrano’s large nose that causes his problems and every version seems to use an actor with a false nose. But here it is height, a surprisingly easy transition, and Dinklage does it marvelously well, squeezing all the brilliance from the sparkling dialog and thrilling us with its mix of brash and tragic. Only a few changes to the dialog were needed and there are few direct references to height, as they are unnecessary.
Further, CYRANO is a visually beautiful production, shot in Italy. The staging, the sets and costumes are all wonderfully lavish and brilliantly colorful. The theater scene that introduces Cyrano, where he chases a bad but popular actor off the stage, is wonderfully comic and brash. The scene where Cyrano and Roxanne meet in the bakery alone, and she tells him she is, is unmatched in its heartbreaking power.
As expected, the gifted Peter Dinklage is excellent with the dramatics, turning the words over with startling power and nuance, He even does well with the singing, with a nice baritone voice. Ben Mendelsohn delivers a striking turn as the sinister de Guiche and Kelvin Harrison Jr. does well as handsome, tongue-tied Christian. Haley Bennett gives a more unusual performance as Roxanne, playing her as a bouncy, girlish free spirit more than the lovely, discerning intellectual she usually is.
Despite Dinklage’s strong performance, it never feels right or comfortable to have this dramatic romantic tragedy periodically interrupted with what are generally silly songs, backed by rather eccentric, if athletically impressive, dancing (fortunately the leads, including Dinklage, are not called on to dance as well).
Most of the songs are forgettable, but there is one exception. It is the song that the soldiers sing as they are being sent off to war, while they write letters to their loved ones in case they do not make it home, which is deeply moving and melodic.
Yet, it is a great role indeed for Dinklage, a brilliant re-imaging, and if this had been a different kind of production, it would have ranked up there with the great French production with Gerard Depardieu in his prime. Dinklage’s performance does exceed that high bar but the production it is in is a distraction. Alas, it is not just the songs that are stumbling blocks but other unevenness in the production. Haley Bennett’s odd choice to play Roxanne as a bouncing, romantic comedy figure rather than a clever, intelligent woman, as Roxanne is usually played, seems to undermine the play’s premise. That Roxanne is a worthy match for the brilliant Cyrano. This Roxanne, while beautiful, seems less a sparkling wit and less perfect for Cyrano.
Bottom line, Peter Dinklage is brilliant in this role, one that is near perfect for him, and his performance makes the film soar in those moments when he dominates the screen. But that soaring emotion, the overall heart of the film, and its dramatic arc are repeatedly deflated by the grafted-on musical numbers. It is really a shame, and those who can get past the distraction of those interruptions, will enjoy this visually beautiful, romantic retelling of the beloved Cyrano de Bergerac with the marvelous Peter Dinklage.
CYRANO opens Friday, Feb. 25, at multiple theaters.
RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars
