Cyrano

First of all, only cowards dislike this movie. On to the review:

So, Dinklage is not a strong singer. A couple of the people aren't. Mostly basic compositions. There's a historical context most people probably aren't aware of. Pretty damn good duels. Fantastic cinematography. And the basic Cyrano story without much aplomb.

It's actually really weird, for a musical. Which I didn't know it was going in. The thing that makes it work is that everyone gives a heartfelt performance, especially Donklage, who outshines in acting but isn't killing it in the voice department. They know it's simple. They knows it's awkward. There's a song about it being awkward.

But it just does work for me. Especially with 3 of the numbers that are completely fantastic and absolutely land. I imagine they were going for an idiosyncratic movie that reflects the character. They nailed it. Only cowards and snobs couldn't give it the props it deserves.

I'm a big fan of both Peter Dinklage and Ben Mendelssohn. Peter Dinklage simply cannot sing. Unfortunately, that fact plays prominently into a musical when the person who cannot sing is the lead. It took away my attention from pretty much anything else on the screen whenever he would sing. Haley Bennett as Roxanne was charming in the role and has a beautiful singing voice. Also, strangely, at a meandering 2 hours, the ending still felt rushed. I watched it on an industry streaming screener. Perhaps on the big screen it plays better.

Rostand's play is a durable one, even if it does seem implausible.... but in drawing the character of Cyrano de Bergerac, was accurate. De Bergerac was a French officer with an enormous nose, who wrote excellent poetry, dramas, and even a novel about a trip to the moon. I don't know how accurate the story of his duelling ten people in one night was, but no one ever called him a liar on it while he lived.

In casting Peter Dinklage as Cyrano -- without the nose -- director Joe Wright has expanded the character's touchy honor to all the physical slurs people undergo; that's not a bad idea. Dinklage is a problematic choice, given that someone his size would not have been enlisted in the French Army in this period. Once, however, you accept this, his expressive features reveal everything about the character. Haley Bennett as Roxanne is enchanting, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. As Christian is a kindly if slow-witted young fellow: a perfect tenor for Grand Opera.

I'm not fond of the music for the songs, which seem to be largely recitative, and only one song had first-class lyrics: "Where I Fall". Nonetheless, Wright and his cameraman, Seamus McGarvey, understand that the songs in a musical are about what's going on inside the performers' heads, and use a highly mobile camera to obliterate the space. In between those, they find a lot of beautiful scenes to shoot, looking like ancien regime paintings. It's not the best take I've seen; that would be the one with Gérard Depardieu. But this is a very good one too.

Watching Peter Dinklage in this performance is like walking into a decent play and he captivates me to make me stay longer til the end. Seeing his talents and personal struggles is just a treat to watch. So I say if Dinklage gets nominated I hope he wins making history as the first dwarf to win an Oscar. Technically he'll be the second dwarf actor to be nominated for an Oscar since Michael Dunn of Ship of Fools (1965) but let's hope the academy actually chooses well but I won't hold my breath bc the academy has a tendency to miss great performances or choose the wrong winners. Let's hope I say and praise Dinklage for his performance.

This movie is an adaptation from the stage musical, which itself was an adaptation of the 1897 original stories based on a the real person, Cyrano de Bergerac, who was a French poet and duelist from the 17th Century.

In the other productions of Cyrano (including Steve Martin's 1987 'Roxanne') he was depicted with an unusually large nose, that was why he was considered not handsome. In this one Cyrano is a very small person, yet fierce and an expert with the sword.

This production is a musical but without trained singers. Yet each one, including Dinklage, delivers adequate and believable vocals. I know some criticize the movie for that but to me it all makes it more realistic.

So there isn't much new about the way this movie depicts the Cyrano story, but it is a fine production and enjoyable especially for those who aren't highly familiar with the story, of an intelligent but unattractive poet and swordsman who loves Roxanne so much he will even help the man she admires win her affections.

I can't say enough about the performance Dinklage gives. I was already a fan from a number of other roles but he is just wonderful in this role.

My wife and I watched it at home on BluRay from our public library. That is, until she fell asleep halfway through and went to bed. Not the movie's fault, she was tired. :-)