Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In this modern take on Edmond Rostand's classic play "Cyrano de Bergerac," C. D. Bales is the witty, intelligent, and brave fire chief of a small Pacific Northwest town who, due to the size of his enormous nose, declines to pursue the girl of his dreams, lovely Roxanne Kowalski. Instead, when his shy underling Chris McConnell becomes smitten with Roxanne, C.D. feeds the handsome young man the words of love to win her heart.
Roxanne is a charming and affectionate modern reworking of Cyrano de Bergerac, with Steve Martin delivering a warm and witty performance that suits his strengths well. The Pacific Northwest setting gives the film a pleasant, breezy quality. However, the plot is inherently derivative, being a fairly faithful transposition of a well-known play, which caps its Novelty — it doesn't reimagine the source material so much as relocate it with comedic touches. The ending, while emotionally satisfying in a modest way, feels rushed and a bit too tidy, undercutting the bittersweet complexity that makes the original Cyrano resonant. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable for its era. Overall a likable, above-average romantic comedy that doesn't quite transcend its source.