A note to readers, I do not like period pieces. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve seen countless films with men in puffy shirts and women with oversized bustles, but they just don’t do it for me. So when I heard that Joe Wright (HANNA, THE SOLOIST, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) was bringing his cinematic eye to the classic tale of Roxanne, I decided to give it another go. Oh, and it’s a musical! And most readers know how much of a sucker I am for those (Exhibit A and Exhibit B).
Peter Dinklage gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the lead character, Cyrano. To play a hopeless romantic that’s suffering, you have to have a window into the actor’s soul. Luckily, Dinklage knows this and uses his eyes, transporting audiences into his soul.
As for the songs, they leave much to be desired. They feel outdated and bland. Instead of having the musical be a spectacle, Joe Wright captures them intimately. This works in musicals like DANCER IN THE DARK or LES MISERABLES (2012) because the songs are so good. But since they mostly fall flat in CYRANO, they don’t soar.Â
At the movie’s beginning, a character says, “children need love, adults need money.” CYRANO proves that both adults and children need love. I wish I enjoyed period pieces so that I could’ve loved more than just Peter Dinklage’s performance in CYRANO.
It’s available in theatres starting on 31-December.
