Movie Review: Cyrano

Cyrano is deeply weird. As a retelling of the classic story goes, it hits all the right beats. And yet everything about it just feels… off.

The actors speak their dialogue with the cadence of a Shakespearean play or Restoration comedy. But they speak modern English with some very laboured prose.

The music is delightful. But the lyrics sound like they've been mistranslated from French and forced to fit the tunes.

The comedy is broad and genuinely entertaining. But the bathos fatally blunts the tragedy - which is already undermined by the dodgy lyrics.

The casting is spot on. But, at times, it felt to me like they wanted to cast bigger names.

The cinematography and choreography is breathtakingly good. But… No, I've nothing bad to say about it! Simply gorgeous to watch.

The movie is a Curate's Egg. The parts which are good are excellent. When it works, it is a fast, funny, kinaesthetic movie. When it doesn't, it feels like a sub-par Moulin Rouge rip-off. Perhaps it worked better on stage with an audience to play against?

I think part of the problem is the incestuous nature of the production. The writer is married to the lead actor, the lead actress is dating the director. And they were all involved in the original off-Broadway production. So there's no-one independent to say "hang on, is this such a good idea?"

Despite my low rating, I recommend you watch the movie. It is fun - in parts. It is aesthetically pleasing. And it is ambitious in all the right places. But I just don't think it is particularly good. But please tell me if I'm wrong!