Rating: 
Summary: A nose by any onter name...
Review: I have to admit I never liked Steve Martin as a comedian. In this movie, however, he shines, dispalying his excepitonial tallent as both a writer and actor. It's a brilliant piece of work. I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said, except this: If you haven't believed any of the other people raving about this film, take my word for it and buy it. You won't be sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: I want the three dollars I used to rent this back
Review: I really don't care what anyone says. I could not finish this movie. It was horrible. I was forced into renting it because we had to do this Cyrano de Bergerac/Roxanne compare/contrast sheet for French. I am unhappy that I had to shell out three bucks to rent a movie I never even really wanted to see. The fact that it was a bad movie didn't help the situation.
Steve Martin may think he's being clever, but really he isn't. I absolutely hated his charcter, who, despite his big nose, was awfully cocky. Now, I wasn't a huge fan of the real Cyrano de Bergerac, so that MAY be part of the problem. Nevertheless, the plot made me roll my eyes and every bit of the movie bored me to tears. Please try to find something that is actually witty and funny, like The Simpsons. The Simpsons knows how to paraody literature.
Rating:
Summary: I want the three dollars I used to rent this back
Review: I really don't care what anyone says. I could not finish this movie. It was horrible. I was forced into renting it because we had to do this Cyrano de Bergerac/Roxanne compare/contrast sheet for French. I am unhappy that I had to shell out three bucks to rent a movie I never even really wanted to see. The fact that it was a bad movie didn't help the situation.
Steve Martin may think he's being clever, but really he isn't. I absolutely hated his charcter, who, despite his big nose, was awfully cocky. Now, I don't mind the REAL Cyrano de Bergerac. I find it to be a pretty good story. But this was poorly written. Cyrano was supposed to be cocky and witty. Steve Martin, and just about everyone else in this movie, is not cocky nor witty. They're just stupid. The first hour and forty minutes was an excruciating ride, and I decided against sitting through the last bit, mainly because I just couldn't and my friends were complaining. Save your time, not to mention your money, and pick up something that is actually funny, like Clerks or South Park.
Rating:
Summary: Best one in the genre.
Review: I've just added this classic to my DVD library. Although the DVD itself is not that cool (no such special features as commentaries, cast & crew bios, production notes etc...), it deserves as cherished a place in my library as the place "Roxanne" settled in my heart. For the two last decades Hollywood had some rising stars in the category of physical comedy (Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, the Wayans brothers...) but none of them has made a movie that got me laugh so hard while capturing my heart so tenderly at the same time as Steve Martin did with "Roxanne". Was it because those new actors couldn't work out something creative like "the 20 nose jokes", or was it because they just needed better scripts to bolster their talents? I found it amazing that Steve Martin decided to be the screenplay writer himself and somehow managed to convert the concept of a French Renaissance play -- "Cyrano de Bergerac" -- to this modern time comedy and turned its tragic conclusion into a happy ending. Apart from the "nose jokes", he gave us so many fun lines to enjoy and remember. And apart from Martin, all other actors also gave their best performances, and best lines too: Shelley Duvall's simple riddle, Daryl Hannah's "ironic" refusal of a coat, Rick Rossovitch's "extemporaneous" night and "pillow fluffing" request..., and, oh yeah, the "earn more sessions by sleeving" line... Well, all I want to say is, hurry up, add this movie to your library so your family and friends could share your joy. We all need this kind of joy in a world where "all the concepts of beauty have been programmed by TV's and magazines" -- to quote Tony Robbins from "Shallow Hal". Now that being said, please bear with one more humble opinion of mine: After "Roxanne", I only found "Shallow Hal" as a good one in the genre. Hope it won't be the last.
Rating:
Summary: Best one in the genre.
Review: I've just added this classic to my DVD library. Although the DVD itself is not that cool (no such special features as commentaries, cast & crew bios, production notes etc...), it deserves as cherished a place in my library as the place "Roxanne" settled in my heart. For the two last decades Hollywood had some rising stars in the category of physical comedy (Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, the Wayans brothers...) but none of them has made a movie that got me laugh so hard while capturing my heart so tenderly at the same time as Steve Martin did with "Roxanne". Was it because those new actors couldn't work out something creative like "the 20 nose jokes", or was it because they just needed better scripts to bolster their talents? I found it amazing that Steve Martin decided to be the screenplay writer himself and somehow managed to convert the concept of a French Renaissance play -- "Cyrano de Bergerac" -- to this modern time comedy and turned its tragic conclusion into a happy ending. Apart from the "nose jokes", he gave us so many fun lines to enjoy and remember. And apart from Martin, all other actors also gave their best performances, and best lines too: Shelley Duvall's simple riddle, Daryl Hannah's "ironic" refusal of a coat, Rick Rossovitch's "extemporaneous" night and "pillow fluffing" request..., and, oh yeah, the "earn more sessions by sleeving" line... Well, all I want to say is, hurry up, add this movie to your library so your family and friends could share your joy. We all need this kind of joy in a world where "all the concepts of beauty have been programmed by TV's and magazines" -- to quote Tony Robbins from "Shallow Hal". Now that being said, please bear with one more humble opinion of mine: After "Roxanne", I only found "Shallow Hal" as a good one in the genre. Hope it won't be the last.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Romantic...simply funny.
Review: Ill write a longer review later but i defy anyone not to get past the first 5minutes of this brilliant film, without hurting their sides from laughing. Steve Martin (at his best) putting the world to rights with the aid of a tennis racket, is a joy to behold.
Rating:
Summary: AFI's Greatest Love Stories: #72 Roxanne
Review: Near the end of Edmund Rostand's play "Cyrano de Bergerac" the character of Roxanne encapsulates the heart of the tragic romance when she says, "I have loved one man in my live, and I have lost him twice." Ultimately, it is not Steve Martin's comic sensibilities but rather his sense of romance that makes this 1987 film a worthy counterpart to Rostand's original play. In this new version of the tale Cyrano becomes C. D. "Charlie" Bales (Martin), a fire chief in a Colorado town who has a nose of epic proportions and no prospects in his love life. But then who should come into town but,the fair Roxanne, (Daryl Hannah), who has rented a house to check out comets with her telescope. He is totally smitten by her, but she only has eyes for Chris (Rick Rossovich), who is everything Charlie is not, to wit: handsome, stupid and lacking any social charm whatsoever. Of course the centerpiece of the film is Martin's take on the famous balcony scene, where Charlie feeds Chris the lines with which to woo Roxanne, but that is not where this film finds its heart. That is because Charlie is the heart and soul of this quirky little town, where the only one who thinks anything about Charlie's nose is Charlie himself. Shelley Duvall as Dixie heads the supporting cast of well beloved but obviously quirky character actors, which includes Fred Willard and Michael J. Pollard. At the end of Rostrand's classic play you believe that Roxanne would have chosen the soul of the poet over the face of the angel. Several centuries later Martin gives her the chance to make the right choice (and I do not mean about wearing that red dress tonight). More impressively, Martin proves once and for all that he can be even funnier when he is not being "a wild and crazy guy"; such is the difference between a comedian and a comic actor. Most Romantic Lines: Sorry, they are too lengthy to retype here. You will know them when you hear them, trust me. And remember that you too can "Earn more sessions by sleeving." If you enjoy "Roxanne," then check out these other films on the AFI's list: #10 "City Lights," #24 "King Kong," and #34 "Beauty & the Beast." Why? Well, the first one because it also has a guy who has trouble believing he is good enough for the woman he loves and the other two because they are less metaphorical versions of the Beauty and the Beast type love story.
Rating:
Summary: AFI's Greatest Love Stories: #72 Roxanne
Review: Near the end of Edmund Rostand's play "Cyrano de Bergerac" the character of Roxanne encapsulates the heart of the tragic romance when she says, "I have loved one man in my live, and I have lost him twice." Ultimately, it is not Steve Martin's comic sensibilities but rather his sense of romance that makes this 1987 film a worthy counterpart to Rostand's original play. In this new version of the tale Cyrano becomes C. D. "Charlie" Bales (Martin), a fire chief in a Colorado town who has a nose of epic proportions and no prospects in his love life. But then who should come into town but,the fair Roxanne, (Daryl Hannah), who has rented a house to check out comets with her telescope. He is totally smitten by her, but she only has eyes for Chris (Rick Rossovich), who is everything Charlie is not, to wit: handsome, stupid and lacking any social charm whatsoever. Of course the centerpiece of the film is Martin's take on the famous balcony scene, where Charlie feeds Chris the lines with which to woo Roxanne, but that is not where this film finds its heart. That is because Charlie is the heart and soul of this quirky little town, where the only one who thinks anything about Charlie's nose is Charlie himself. Shelley Duvall as Dixie heads the supporting cast of well beloved but obviously quirky character actors, which includes Fred Willard and Michael J. Pollard. At the end of Rostrand's classic play you believe that Roxanne would have chosen the soul of the poet over the face of the angel. Several centuries later Martin gives her the chance to make the right choice (and I do not mean about wearing that red dress tonight). More impressively, Martin proves once and for all that he can be even funnier when he is not being "a wild and crazy guy"; such is the difference between a comedian and a comic actor. Most Romantic Lines: Sorry, they are too lengthy to retype here. You will know them when you hear them, trust me. And remember that you too can "Earn more sessions by sleeving." If you enjoy "Roxanne," then check out these other films on the AFI's list: #10 "City Lights," #24 "King Kong," and #34 "Beauty & the Beast." Why? Well, the first one because it also has a guy who has trouble believing he is good enough for the woman he loves and the other two because they are less metaphorical versions of the Beauty and the Beast type love story.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful locale, beautiful love story, lovely Daryl
Review: Of recent updatings of CYRANO DE BERGERAC, this one is one of the best, and is certainly the funniest. Although THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS has a soft spot in my heart, this version is by far funnier and more romantic. The other film focuses more on Janeane Garofalo's feelings of inferiority compared to Uma Thurman, and although funny, doesn't strive for the laughs like Roxanne does. Also, with apologies to Ben Chaplin, he is hardly as adorable as Daryl Hannah. She has never been lovelier than in this film. This is also probably my favorite Steve Martin film. Despite his surreal schnoggin, he manages to inject his character with warmth, character, and lovability. You like him so much that you find it believable when he and Roxanne end up together at the end. (Interestingly, both this and the Janeane Garofalo film end happily, unlike the Rostand play.) The long scene in which a bar patron insults his nose, and he humiliates the man by coming up with 20 better and vastly funnier insults (this "Cyrano" is not merely a highly capable street fighter, but equally adept at verbal sparring) is easily the highpoint of the film. Even if I have seen the film recently, if in channel flipping I see the movie playing and that it hasn't reached this part of the film, I will wait and watch it. One reviewer below mentioned the town being dull. I cannot agree. I think the physical beauty of the place stuns most viewers. If I knew I could find a job there, I'd move there tomorrow. The locale definitely adds measurably to the enjoyment of the film. I have only two negative comments to make on the movie. First, I think they overdid it on Steve Martin's nose. It is impossible to imagine that anyone with a nose that long would not have had surgery on it, and there isn't any believable medical reason to believe the surgery couldn't be performed. Second, the musical soundtrack really sounds dated. The Kenny G. sound today just hasn't stood the test of time, so that the soundtrack reminds one more of elevator music or at best "Lite FM" than anything. Still, if one can get past the music, this remains one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies of recent years.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful locale, beautiful love story, lovely Daryl
Review: Of recent updatings of CYRANO DE BERGERAC, this one is one of the best, and is certainly the funniest. Although THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS has a soft spot in my heart, this version is by far funnier and more romantic. The other film focuses more on Janeane Garofalo's feelings of inferiority compared to Uma Thurman, and although funny, doesn't strive for the laughs like Roxanne does. Also, with apologies to Ben Chaplin, he is hardly as adorable as Daryl Hannah. She has never been lovelier than in this film. This is also probably my favorite Steve Martin film. Despite his surreal schnoggin, he manages to inject his character with warmth, character, and lovability. You like him so much that you find it believable when he and Roxanne end up together at the end. (Interestingly, both this and the Janeane Garofalo film end happily, unlike the Rostand play.) The long scene in which a bar patron insults his nose, and he humiliates the man by coming up with 20 better and vastly funnier insults (this "Cyrano" is not merely a highly capable street fighter, but equally adept at verbal sparring) is easily the highpoint of the film. Even if I have seen the film recently, if in channel flipping I see the movie playing and that it hasn't reached this part of the film, I will wait and watch it. One reviewer below mentioned the town being dull. I cannot agree. I think the physical beauty of the place stuns most viewers. If I knew I could find a job there, I'd move there tomorrow. The locale definitely adds measurably to the enjoyment of the film. I have only two negative comments to make on the movie. First, I think they overdid it on Steve Martin's nose. It is impossible to imagine that anyone with a nose that long would not have had surgery on it, and there isn't any believable medical reason to believe the surgery couldn't be performed. Second, the musical soundtrack really sounds dated. The Kenny G. sound today just hasn't stood the test of time, so that the soundtrack reminds one more of elevator music or at best "Lite FM" than anything. Still, if one can get past the music, this remains one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies of recent years.
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