CYRANO (12A) HHHII
Soldier and poet Cyrano de Bergerac (Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage) pines for Roxanne (Haley Bennett) but cannot disclose his true feelings by virtue of his lowly social status and physical demeanour. “My fate is to love her from afar,” he tells trusted confidant Le Bret (Bashir Salahuddin). Instead, Cyrano watches as the object of his affection entertains advances from odious nobleman De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn), who offers
security, before falling for Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr), a dashing young recruit, under Cyrano’s command.
Heartbroken, Cyrano strikes a bargain with Christian to secretly write lyrical love letters
so that the young suitor may woo Roxanne. “I’ll make you eloquent while you make me handsome,” Cyrano explains to Christian, who is blissfully unaware of his companion’s unspoken true feelings. Galvanised by Dinklage’s compelling performance, Cyrano swoons handsomely. Bennett and Harrison Jr add emotional depth to the central love triangle, particularly in an anguished final act but Joe Wright’s picture takes our breath away only intermittently.
In cinemas from Friday