Director Joe Wright (Atonement) may very well have made the finest film of his career in his romantic musical Cyrano.
The film held its world premiere tonight at the Palm Theater in Telluride, and I was not prepared for such an emotional and gorgeous piece of filmmaking. It’s almost unfair to see something like this in a film festival setting where you’ve already seen two or three films that day or you’re worried about what you’re going to run off to next. If you even have the energy left in you, that is… But sometimes a great movie gives you a shot of adrenaline.
Cyrano gave me that experience and more.
Starring an astounding Peter Dinklage as the tortured hero, the film was adapted from the off-Broadway stage musical written and directed by Erica Schmidt, who also wrote the film’s screenplay, and starred Dinklage and Haley Bennett, reprising her role in the film as Roxanne. The story remains the same. Cyrano secretly loves Roxanne but is too proud to express it (in this case, it’s due to his height, not a nose). Roxanne falls in love with Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) who looks the part but lacks Cyrano’s poetic soul. Cyrano and Christian agree to allow Cyrano to essentially ghostwrite love letters to Roxanne, and the story takes dark turns from there.
For the first hour, what Wright and Seamus McGarvey’s camerawork get absolutely right is the intoxicating nature of love. Every scene bursts with kinetic energy, color, and life. Characters sway and melt to the rhythms of the gorgeous score (written by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National). Even as most moments adopt a more fantastical approach, you’re swept up in the majesty of it all.
Wright brilliantly underscores the moments of unrequited passions through all of the cinematic tools available to him in a musical setting: the fluidity of the human body through choreography, light and shadows, and even the textures of the production design. There’s a particularly jaw-dropping moment where Roxanne, swooning over her latest letter, steps through a gauzy curtain while letters dance around her in the air. A highlight of the film for sure.
Dinklage has frankly never been better in this role. I was admittedly unsure of his singing voice, but he acquits himself well in that department. He’s not a natural singer, but he more than makes up for that by imbuing his vocals with raw emotion, something the best singers in the world often forget. His Cyrano is a proud man – his tragic flaw – who fears rejection from the woman he loves above all things. Dinklage’s expressive face, particularly his eyes, navigates the tricky terrain between wit and sarcasm to a stoic front to a let-all-guards-down expression of deep love and devotion. Dinklage has never really given a performance like this, and it’s absolutely the best work the very talented actor has done to date.
He’s particularly devastating when delivering the film’s final line, a punch-to-the-gut moment that left many in the audience emotionally wrecked.
Bennett, previously seen in Hillbilly Elegy, also surprises with a remarkable confidence employed in the tricky role of Roxanne. A character whose sole life goal is to find love often finds a challenge in remaining compelling enough for the audience to understand why others feel so deeply for her. Yet, Bennett gives Roxanne a coy, nearly coquettish air that works well in the film. She also boasts a fantastic singing voice, soaring through a late film solo that would have delivered a standing ovation in live theater. Also surprisingly strong is Harrison Jr. who manages to take the role of Christian, a potentially one-note role in the hands of a lesser actor, and give him a poet’s soul by the end of the film.
Cyrano likely won’t be an across the board slam dunk for some audiences. You have to let yourself go and luxuriate in the unbridled romanticism of the film, and that’s a hard thing for some to do. But those who let the film in will find it intoxicating. It will inspire passion in many audiences. I’m not quite ready to talk about awards chances yet. Clearly, MGM is high on the film as they’ve screened it four months ahead of its release date. They feel something here, and if you’re talking Oscar chances, Cyrano is going to be, in my opinion, a clear number one vote for those who love it, buoyed by extraordinary below the line crafts.
Also in my opinion, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a performance as emotional, as funny, as charismatic, and as quietly devastating as Peter Dinklage’s work here as Cyrano.
This role has clearly tapped into something within Dinklage and, coupled with Joe Wright’s career-best direction, they have delivered a very special piece of cinema indeed.
I saw the stage play on which this was based. Peter was brilliant but the music was very overrated. He has a soulful voice if not technically perfect, I can see him being a lock for this now.
Yes!! I’m thrilled it’s getting great reviews. I’ve had Cyrano on my picture, director, and actor lists over at Gold Derby for a few weeks now. Wonderful news!
Hoping for Dinklage to be the runaway winner this year. Huge fan!
C’mon C’mon is getting great reviews at 83 on Metacritic.
If reviews will be as solid as the first reactions (75+ MC), then I think this film could have everything for a solid showing on Nominations morning. It has a shot at these 13 categories :
– Picture (Expanded 10-slot field could benefit a crowdpleaser)
– Director (Between 2 BP nominees, Joe Wright has been overdue for his first nomination)
– Adapted Screenplay (Adapted by the writer of the stage musical, based on the literary classic)
– Lead Actor (TV icon Dinklage’s most promising feature star vehicle since The Station Agent)
– Lead / Supporting Actress (Regardless of category placement, Haley Bennett is very underrated)
– Supporting Actor (Kelvin Harrison Jr. makeup nod for the Luce / Waves snub)
– Cinematography (Seamus McGarvey received both his Oscar nominations for Joe Wright films)
– Editing (Valerio Bonelli who edited Joe Wright’s previous BP nominee (Darkest Hour)
– Costume Design (Oscar nominee from last season (Pinocchio)
– Art Direction (the Spencer / Greenwood duo received 4 (!) Oscar nods for Joe Wright films)
– Makeup (period comedy, this could be a shakespeareinlove-type nod)
– Original Song (As a musical, I assume it has one, probably written by The National)
– Sound (prominent musicals tend to get this nod)
Common wisdom says it will probably get a filler BP nod, lead actor and a few below the line nominations but I really hope Joe Wright will be in serious consideration for his first ever BD nod, as well. He should have 3 already for the literary trilogy but the Academy was more busy giving 3 BD nods to David foken O. Russell. Oh, well, Academy, time to atone (pun intended).
I’ve got Dinklage as the frontrunner to win Lead Actor, for a while… not really surprised, the film is good, and that he excels in the role.
The only one I can see, beforehand, winning over him, is Will Smith, thanks to the role and how due he is…
Seeing that tomorrow.
Why do you think Will Smith is due anything? What roles specifically was he snubbed for, in your opinion?
Smith is on the league of the A Listers who also comes out as a great actor, and has become a Hollywood icon. It really, really doesn’t matter what our actual opinion on his acting skills are – in my opinion, he’s been quite obsessed with having Oscar vehicles in the last 2 decades – but the industry respects him and probably consider him, due, for some recognition in Awards form. Remember, he broke through as a Hollywood star, with Independence Day and Men in Black, but he quickly started focusing on more “prestigious” roles like “Ali” (he should have won over Denzel, if you ask me). The man has earned billions to the industry, so he is on the spotlight to, at least, have a Honorary Award in the future. But he became a good actor quite quickly when he switched to acting in his career… he grew in “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” – THAT episode with his fictional father, and how he tore at the end – and also in the Oscar-nominated “Six Degrees of Separation” opposite Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing, despite the scandal of him refusing to shoot a homosexual kiss scene, which he apologized for, afterwards. What can I say? He really grew as an actor during the years, and “King Richard” sounds exactly as the right vehicle to get him back into the Oscar-winning conversation… biopic, 3 decades of consistent career with any kind of roles, he’s versatile both in Drama, Action and Comedy… so, yes, right after Dinklage, he seems like a possible winner for this year.
I note that your response comes after King Richard screened.
the film has a solid start on MC with 73. From the trailer, I never expected it to earn 100s, honestly, but the critical response so far, seems to be extraordinarily in agreement (70-80 range) with each other. Enough to keep Smith in the race, and in a similar case – but with worse reviews – The Blind Side got a Best Picture nomination and earned Sandra Bullock her Oscar, and her profile could be easily compared to Smith’s.
I don’t think Smith is due. He’s a mediocre actor who has been nominated for unremarkable work in the past. And he’s been in so much trash that he’s not Oscar-caliber by default.
Dinklage would be such a gorgeous win if he gains momentum. He’ll join Linda Hunt.