Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6634 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-01-01
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1987, almost 100 years after its first production, the romantic story of Cyrano de Bergerac found new life in a winsome film written by Steve Martin. Roxanne updates the tale with a smart 80s' spin, yet writer-star Martin stays close to the old-fashioned heart of the matter. He plays a small-town fireman named CD Bales, whose otherwise unremarkable existence is crowned by an amazingly long nose. He falls for the world's most beautiful astronomer (Daryl Hannah), but he is embarrassed by the size of his proboscis and prefers to stay on the sidelines. Like Cyrano, the shy CD instead helps a handsome friend (Rick Rossovich) woo the fair lady by providing flowery sentiments and soulful poetry. Not only does the story still work, but director Fred Schepisi captures a dreamy grace in his visual design for the film (some of which will be lost without the widescreen format). Set in Washington State, but filmed in the hilly ski resort of Nelson, British Columbia, the location seems like a fairy-tale town, nearly as unreal as Steve Martin's nose. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com

Special Features
2.33 Wide Screen
DVD 5
French\German\Italian\Spanish
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital Surround English French German Italian Spanish
Dolby Digital Surround
Filmographies
Trailer
Czech\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\German\Greek\Hebrew\Norwegian\Polish

Customer Reviews

Magical
Being French, brought up with the verses from Cyrano de Bergerac, I wouldn't have expected to love this movie, but I did. It's clever, light-hearted, and amazingly warm -- it pokes fun at everything and makes fun of no-one, neither the handsome goof not the plump kid marooned on the roof. The pace is great -- wait for the firemen's sequence! -- and there are dozens of little touches that make you chuckle even at the tenth viewing. It's a great idea to make Roxanne an astronomer; it gives Daryl Hannah a touch of magical otherworldliness that's just right. And of course Steve Martin is splendid. A success from start to finish.

Quite possibly Steve Martin's finest hour
I loved this film when it first came out and I still can't get over how good it is. Steve Martin's updating of Cyrano de Bergerac is one of the most touching, hilarious and satisfying movies around - as well as being a terrific feel-good flick. While there have been many fine romantic comedies made, this must rate as one of the best ever, if not THE best. Don't just take my word for it - see it for yourself! You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Steve Martin Does Cyrano de Bergerac
Admirers of Steve Martin will probably agree with the 4 star rating, if you are not a fan of his, I would say the film sinks to a three. For those who do not know the background of this character, he is a soldier from France in 1640, a "Gascon", who were known for their bravery, arrogance, and aggressiveness. Cyrano is also endowed with a nose that he describes in the play as follows, "one could launch ships from that peninsula", to be redundant, this man has a nose that is a plastic surgeon's dream. As CD Bales, a fire chief in a small town, managing a firehouse of misfits, he retains the noble characteristics of the original, and loses the aggressiveness and arrogance. The one exception is when he is taunted for his nose, and then he strikes, although generally with his wit, and when it is physically, it is not a rapier, but a tennis racquet.

This film is all Martin, with some reasonable supporting players, but the only reason to watch this film is to see Martin use some of his many talents. The theme of misplaced love, and classic settings lifted directly from Shakespeare, the balcony scene, will make any fan wince on occasion, but taken as a whole, which is a bit too long, the film is still entertaining.

If the idea of Martin teaching firemen how to handle a hose against flames while moving to a waltz is intriguing, and the physical humor of Martin also entertains you, take 107 minutes and enjoy, "Roxanne". Siskel and Ebert call the film a, "comic masterpiece", which would make them well above average, when rated as Steve Martin fans.