Roxanne

Roxanne is probably going to go down as the pinnacle of Steve Martin's career as both an actor and a writer. Granted, he's made better movies (L.A. Story, The Man With Two Brains), but this is the one movie that seems to have grabbed the public's attention and keeps bringing them back. And that's because it's deceptively simple, the story of the underdog falling for the girl who has it all. It's peripherally based on Cyrano de Bergerac, but most people haven't read it (or even seen a movie adaptation), so much of the intricacies will be lost. But everyone can identify with the main character, C.D. Bales, and the story of his doomed love.

The movie is a romantic comedy, but that's too simplistic. It's full of incredible situational and verbal humor. Whether he's playing a slapstick routine trying to leave Roxanne's apartment or trying to think up the (more than) twenty insults that would be better than `Big Nose,' Martin's pen rarely falters. He can do drama, as evidenced by the scene on the roof with the overweight kid. And he writes compelling poetry: when C.D. speaks from his heart under Roxanne's window it threatens to turn hokey at any moment, but never does. The power of the movie is in the screenplay, and Martin's written a doozy.

Of course, it also doesn't hurt that C.D. is such a sympathetic character. Actually, sympathetic is probably the wrong word. He's such a strong and dynamic character that every man would want to be him and every woman would want to have him…if it weren't for that stupid nose of his. Think about it: he's athletic, charming, well-read, witty, and handsome. And that's what makes it even worse for the viewer: knowing all these wonderful things are stuck inside this man and people can't see past his nose, pun not intended. Martin totally inhabits C.D. Bales: he knows him so well that it's second nature. He looks like he's having a blast with it, too, which helps the audience quite a bit.

It's not all Steve Martin, though (although it seems like it at times). The supporting cast does well with their roles and goes far beyond what I would have thought possible. Example: Daryl Hannah, an actress with a hit-and-miss record that's mostly miss, is surprisingly convincing as an astronomy student who knows about sub-nuclear particles and comet trajectories. Or Michael J. Pollard, who takes a role that's pretty much a series of one-liners and makes me remember him above all the other firefighters by the pure glee that he takes with every line.

It's certainly not perfect, nor is it Martin's best offering, but that's beside the point. The point is that it's the kind of movie people really enjoy but can't put their finger on just why. Well, the movie is smart, and that's why people find it refreshing. It's not simply a cookie-cutter romance with the typical leading man and the regular lines: it's got a heart and humanity that most romantic comedies disregard as unnecessary. 8/10

Steve Martin's genius as a comic actor has never been in doubt. But once in a while even a genius does something astounding. For Martin it is "Roxanne". Possibly THE funniest movie that I have ever seen, not to mention passionately romantic, it also does something that so few movies are able to do today... it stays intelligent despite the humor. In today's Hollywood so many comedies fall into the trap of deplorable slapstick and gratuitous cussing, "Roxanne" succeeds in entertaining us through colorful characters, enchanting surprises, and witty intelligent dialogue. Where have movies like this gone to? Where were they to begin with? A rare jewel in the sands of Hollywood, see this movie like your life depends on it (tip to the wise: take a date). Pay special attention to the character of Andy, he is a special treat throughout the film. Also look for a VERY young Damon Wayans. The treats abound.

I have to admit that this was a nice and sweet version of Martin's interpretation of Cyrano de Bergerac. It was nice to see a little comedy into the story. I know of the story, but have seen none of the movies. So, this is pretty much as close as I will get to the story even though my mom has the old version of Cyrano de Bergerac, it doesn't look that entertaining.

Steve plays Charlie, a kind and funny fireman with one little... well... actually huge thing on his face, a very long and big nose. But he ends up meeting Roxanne, a very beautiful woman who is a rocket scientist and just wants be romanced, she meets another man, Chris, very handsome, but doesn't exactly have a way with words. Charlie has a huge crush on Roxanne, but she's attracted to Chris, Chris also has a thing for Roxanne, so through the hardest times, Chralie helps Chris try to woe Roxanne with his words going through Chris's mouth.

It's a very sweet and romantic movie with some good little laughs here and there. I think this is an under rated Steve Martin movie that I think everyone could give a chance too. Because, let's face it, we all have that little imperfection that can always be seen as unique and beautiful in the eyes of other's.

7/10

One of my favourite Steve Martin comedies, before he followed the example of Woody Allen and stopped with the comedy and hankered after more serious parts in dull films by Ron Howard and David Mamet. This is definitely how I like him best, in genuinely funny situations that make you laugh. He wrote his own screenplay too, cleverly if loosely taking the old classic story of the big-nosed romantic Cyrano De Bergerac and transplanting it to a modern American small town romantic comedy.

As Charlie, the local fire-chief, Martin's character, besides being a loquacious wordsmith, is also, it would appear, a Cirque-class acrobat and martial arts expert which he amply demonstrates as the movie progresses. The arrival in town of intellectual hottie Darryl Hannah finds the two striking up a blossoming if offbeat friendship before the entrance of lunk-hunk Chris, nicely played by Rick Rossovich, to his fire-crew finds Charlie pressed into action as Chris's prompter in trying to win over Hannah's heart in his stead.

Needless to say, the paths of true love don't run smoothly but do eventually find their rightful destinations for all the main parties but not before many highly comedic scenes get in the way. The extended scenes where Martin takes out two insulting tennis players at the start, his top 20 nose-jokes and especially the by-proxy seduction of Hannah at her Juliet window are all hilarious, but there's plenty of devilry in the detail too especially the short scenes with the "Golden Girls" of the town.

Just maybe, Martin could have downplayed the slapstick comedy element of his Keystone Fire Brigade, which can't touch the Golden Silents of Keaton and Lloyd for amusement, but their coming together to finally demonstrate competence in actually putting out a fire, to the strains of "The Blue Danube", at least concluded another minor plot story arc too. Oh, and I hated the sleep-inducing saxophone-dominated soundtrack too, but hey, this was the 80's, I guess.

Martin is terrific in the "Cyrano" part and Darryl Hannah is surprisingly good in being asked to do more than just shake her curls. Mild distraction as they were as a group, it was still nice to see Michael J Pollard as one of the fire crew too.

Like I said, I'm a big fan of Martin's early comedies and this is one of his best. If I'm lying, may my nose grow in length!

I do not routinely enjoy Steve Martin, but was extremely impressed with the sensitivity and deftness with which he played Cyrano de Bergerac in modern guise. There is nothing archaic or stilted about the script, yet it is surprisingly faithful to the character of the original play (which in turn is closely based on Cyrano's true history). Numerous scenes - including most of the best ones - are lifted almost intact from the Edmond Rostand play, but a viewer who is unfamiliar with that source probably will have no idea which scenes they are. The poetry, imaginative spark and romantic instincts of the original play are handled lovingly and with finesse. Daryl Hannah is just right as a thoroughly modern Roxanne, willingly surprised to find that there is still romance in the world. You do not have to be familiar with the source to enjoy this witty, satisfying, and very funny movie - but if you are, you will enjoy it all the more.

Note added 2015: When I first wrote the above in 1999, Steve Martin had not yet done most of his (in my view) best work; but I still go back to this as my very favorite of his performances.