A “masterpiece” musical hailed by fans as “wonderfully acted” is streaming for free in the UK. Cyrano (2021) is based on the 2018 stage musical, which was in turn based on the 1897 Edmond Rostand play Cyrano de Bergerac.
The film focuses on the titular Cyrano (played by Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones fame), a gifted poet and swordsman plagued by a deep sense of unworthiness, and who is secretly in love with his childhood friend, Roxanne (Haley Bennett). Roxanne, a beautiful aristocrat, has fallen for a handsome soldier called Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) who is not blessed with Cyrano’s eloquence.
Despite Cyrano’s quiet despair at being his unrequited romantic feelings, he decides to help his love rival woo Roxanne by secretly penning love letters for Christian to use as his own.
The film was directed by Joe Wright known for film adaptations of literary classics including Pride & Prejudice (2005), and Atonement (2007).
Fans showered Cyrano with praise, with one who took to IMDb calling it “masterpiece”, and adding that Dinklage “is phenomenal, as is the rest of the cast”.
“The combination of music, comedy and romance is superb. Will be watching this again and again. It is a definite must-see! Highly recommend!”
Another, writing on Rotten Tomatoes, hailed the musical as a “beautifully filmed adaptation of this timeless classic with just enough modifications for it to be fresh while remaining true to the original”.
“Wonderfully acted and the perfect balance of music and spoken dialogue.”
A second added: “I knew it would be great because Peter Dinklage is in it, but I was gobsmacked by how much I loved the film. Cried buckets of tears. Highly recommended.”
A third said: “A surprising, emotionally gripping film, ‘Cyrano’ is a love letter to not only film fans in general but to love itself. Peter Dinklage gives a haunting yet career-defining performance as Cyrano.”
They added that it’s a movie “for the ages and one that should be a cornerstone in any film lover’s collection”.
The film has an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, reflecting the percentage of approved critics who have given it a positive review. It also has a strong 86% score among general audiences.
The film has a 12 certificate and contains moderate violence, bloody images, discrimination, language, and threat, so may not be for everyone.
The film is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer and is currently available for 25 days as of Thursday, November 27.
