Roxanne – Blu-ray Steve Martin / Daryl Hannah

Roxanne Blu-Ray
Steve Martin, Daryl Hannah, Rick Rossovich
Directed by Fred Schepisi
Originally released 1987
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2009
Widescreen 2:40:1 107 minutes

The uneven, sometimes great Steve Martin adapts Edmond Rostand’s classic Cyrano de Bergerac in Roxanne, a good 1987 romantic comedy Blu-ray release starring Daryl Hannah as the lovely Roxanne and with Rick Nossovich er Rossovich the man through which C.D Bales (Martin) professes his love. Few play to movie adaptations are really that good but this one certainly is. Roxanne looks good on Blu-ray but aside from being widescreen brings nothing new, not even a special feature.

Steve Martin’s adaptation of this French classic immediately convinces the viewer he has a nose for it with a very funny and modern take on the sword fight (look for Kevin Nealon of Saturday Night Life fame). Martin does set himself up for a few extraneous pratfalls and visual gags but they are funny and do not get in the way of a good romantic comedy.

It takes a while for the romantic scenes to kick off in Roxanne. This is a bit surprising as it is after all the core and the best part of the story. You do start wishing screenwriter Steve Martin and director Schepisi would get on with it.

Fire chief C.D meets the lovely Roxanne when she accidentally and nakedly locks herself out of her house. He uses a few comic skills to get her back in and it is, for C.D. love at first nose …er, sight. Roxanne is a smart cookie and astronomer in town to prove she has discovered a comet. Recently heartbroken, she falls for new firefighter Chris (Rossovich). C.D. helps hapless but studly looking Chris woo Roxanne only he too is in love with her.

This romantic comedy does feature a few filler scenes such as the running gag of the fire department’s inept attempts at training exercises. They are funny but not that funny. As for the astronomy stuff, it soon gets forgotten.

Roxanne Blu-ray has no special features whatsoever but it does feature BD Live. Getting information on what that means has proven difficult.

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