The epic romance of Cyrano makes way for Peter Dinklage’s greatest performance
The opening number in Joe Wright’s movie musical Cyrano comes on soft and slow. “Something to Say” is a wistful, yearning ode to love, anchored by Roxanne (Haley Bennett), the love interest of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac. The low-key sequence, where Roxanne sings from her carriage window, “I need someone to die for / Write poems and cry for,” doesn’t hint at the wonderful loudness of the rest of the musical. But Wright’s vision, even in these opening minutes, immediately puts this adaptation in conversation with the cinematic continuum of other Cyrano adaptations, while setting the film apart from every recently released movie musical.
Wright’s take, based on Erica Schmidt’s musical adaptation of Rostand’s play, finds inspiration in the 1950 Cyrano de Bergerac starring José Ferrer and the 1990 Cyrano de Bergerac starring Gérard Depardieu. But he reinvents both by infusing an aching angst reminiscent of Shakespeare in Love. Unlike previous iterations of the character, this Cyrano doesn’t feel romantically hindered by an outsized nose — his conviction that he isn’t suitable for romance comes from his height. His unparalleled talent with words, along with his unquestionable bravery, raises him above his station, but never so much that Roxanne returns his affections.
This Roxanne craves true love, and rejects marrying the grotesque Duke De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn, deliciously villainous) for his money. The dashing visage of a new army recruit, Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), has enraptured her. Her desperately devoted childhood best friend, Cyrano (Peter Dinklage), languishes unrequited in the background, feeding heartfelt verses to Christian so he can woo Roxanne. The combustible throuple
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