While Shakespeare has written most of the romantic plays that dominate theater today, there was one play from across the English Channel that also keeps its hold in the public consciousness, namely Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. Cyrano, My Love depicts the process of creating the iconic play a la Shakespeare in Love, that is, by taking the actual play’s history and jumbling it up with the plot of Cyrano, with art reinventing life and vice versa. It’s a bit of a corny approach, but the way writer-director Alexis Michalik adapts his play is entertaining, leaning more on the frenzy of creation and collaboration rather than cramming Rostand’s romance with his wife into a cinematic plot. This makes Edmond a much more dynamic profile of the titular playwright.
"As backstage movies go, this isn't as profound as Topsy Turvy but it's almost as much fun as Shakespeare in Love."
— Glenn Kenny
""Cyrano, My Love" attempts to give the "Shakespeare in Love" treatment to the timeless French play "Cyrano de Bergerac," with shamelessly derivative yet undeniably entertaining results."
— Andrew Barker
Paris, France, December 1897. The young playwright Edmond Rostand feels like a failure. Inspiration has abandoned him. Married and father of two children, desperate and penniless, he persuades the great actor Constant Coquelin to perform the main role in his new play. But there is a problem: Coquelin wants to premiere it at Christmas and Edmond has not written a single word.
Paris, 1897. After two years without writing anything, playwright Edmond Rostand nevertheless offers a new role to the famous Benoît-Constant Coquelin for his upcoming play. The only problem is, the play is not yet written, but he might be able to wing it with the love stories of his best friend, the jealousy of his wife, and the story of his boyhood hero, Cyrano de Bergerac.
The comedy. It’s fun!
It’s Shakespeare in Love, but made for a severely procrastinating Edmond Rostand.
