On February 24, Joe Wright’s film “Cyrano” hit the screens, breathing life into a work that has long become a classic. But whether this endeavor made for engaging cinema is another question. And that’s what we’ll answer.

Cyrano de Bergerac is not handsome. At least, that’s what he thinks. He didn’t get the height, but he is fearless, intelligent, and charming. Even with these qualities, he doesn’t believe that the beautiful woman he loves could love him back. She, in turn, is in love with Cyrano’s fellow soldier and asks him to look after him. The men meet, a friendship develops, and the fellow soldier asks Cyrano to help him write letters to the beauty.

This is where the most interesting parallel with modernity begins. In the film, as in the play, the action takes place in the 17th century, but Cyrano’s help with the letters creates something similar to what we have now. I have used dating apps many times, and more than once it happened that the person I met turned out to be completely different from their online persona. In essence, the beauty falls in love not even with the fellow soldier himself, but with the image created by the letters. It’s as if two people in a dating app fell in love with each other’s fake personas. But then the question arises: what is more important, the image a person creates, or the person themselves? Director Joe Wright gives a clear answer in the film.

And although the film raises interesting questions about the nature of human interaction, it can be a bit tiring. It is beautifully shot; the costumes and sets are commendable. The beauty alone is so captivating that you can’t take your eyes off her. And the songs—after all, it is a musical—are very beautiful. It’s unlikely anyone will listen to the soundtrack separately, but I want to highlight Peter Dinklage, who back in the days of “Game of Thrones” delivered splendid musical numbers.

But there is a certain overload in all this that makes you tired. The plot follows a well-worn path that you’ve seen many times (even if it is an adaptation of the play), and at some point, you start glancing at your watch, waiting for the film to end. The ending is clear and obvious, but it comes too late, after the film has managed to become quite boring.

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