Peter Dinklage is Cyrano, Haley Bennett is Roxane and Kelvin Harrison Jr. is the dashing Christian in the latest, musical spin on the classic tale of love and deception Cyrano de Bergerac.
In the original French play (loosely based on a true story, according to legend) the valiant romantic de Bergerac is famous throughout the country for his skill with both a sword and a pen, but nevertheless feels he is too ugly for the beautiful, brilliant Roxane to ever reciprocate his love. However, when he discovers she is taken with his handsome friend Christian, the two devise their infamous scheme to work together to win her heart.
It’s a fun play that here is hugely helped by the directorial talents of Joe Wright, who knows his way around historical epics like few others, having honed his talents on movies like Atonement, Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina. Dinklage is a smart pick for Cyrano (he’s already tackled the character in an off-Broadway show), having honed his skills delivering romantic bravado over the years on Game of Thrones. Canonically, Cyrano is insecure about his overly large nose. In this adaptation, dwarfism is the source of his self-doubt.
We’ll see if it works. Wright is coming off a critical misfire with Amy Adams’ Woman in the Window, but Cyrano gets him back on familiar ground and this certainly looks gorgeous. You’ll be able to see it in theaters on Christmas Day.