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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

This might just turn out to be the pinnacle of Steve Martin's career. Nimbly adapted by Martin himself (for which he won the American Writers' Guild prize) from the celebrated Edmond Rostand play Cyrano de Bergerac, this is romantic comedy as it used to be, with Martin playing CD Bales, the nasally gifted fire chief who falls for heavenly stargazer Daryl Hannah. Directed by Fred Schepisi, it's remarkably faithful to Rostand's original work, cleverly transplanting the action from 17th-century Paris to present-day, small-town America, and imbuing the sensitive CD Bales with considerable duelling skills. From the moment he swashbuckles with a tennis racket, it's clear Martin is on peak form, particularly during the hilarious nose-jokes sequence. The respected American critic Pauline Kael detected in Martin's portrayal a touch of Buster Keaton and WC Fields, with just a dash of the graceful Fred Astaire added for good measure. Indeed, Martin's firefighters also recall some past movie greats, the Keystone Kops, although the general air of incompetent shirking also puts you in mind of Will Hay and his inimitable sidekicks Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott. Similarly, the performance of Michael J Pollard begs comparison with the bumbling fireman of music-hall star Robb Wilton. Schepisi keeps the action as buoyant as Martin's performance, while also coaxing a deliciously doltish turn from Rick Rossovich, who woos Hannah using Martin's eloquence.

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Credits

Cast

rolename
CD BalesSteve Martin
Roxanne KowalskiDaryl Hannah
ChrisRick Rossovich
DixieShelley Duvall
ChuckJohn Kapelos
Mayor DeebsFred Willard
DeanMax Alexander
AndyMichael J Pollard
RalstonSteve Mittleman

Crew

rolename
DirectorFred Schepisi

Details

Released on
1987-11-13
Languages
English
Guidance
Contains some swearing.
Available on
video, DVD and Blu-ray
Formats
Colour
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