Review for Roxanne (Dual Format)

Introduction

You could say that movies are collections of moments. Certainly when you think of your favourite movies, or movies that had an impact on you, you’ll think back to notable scenes from that film; they can even become iconic, bigger than the movie that they come from. But sometimes, it’s the moment that remains in your memory, long after the rest of the film has faded. That was certainly the case for me with Roxanne. All that I could remember was the scene with a long-nosed Steve Martin on stage, unleashing a whole lot of proboscis related one-liners. I couldn’t for the life of me recall much of the rest of the film; although I did remember that it was a modern updating of Cyrano de Bergerac. So when the Blu-ray disc was solicited for review, it was the perfect chance to get reacquainted with the film.


C.D. Bales is the chief of a volunteer fire department in small town Nelson. He’s confident, capable, erudite, witty, and likeable. He could be the perfect guy were it not for a short fuse and a long nose, with the former a result of the latter. And if there is one area where he does lack confidence it’s with women, with a complex about his profile having convinced him that he’s destined to be alone. Then a naked girl shows up at the firehouse. Roxanne has been locked out of her house, and C.D helps her get back in, and encounters a charming, intelligent and thoughtful astronomy student.


They certainly connect intellectually, and more, but Roxanne’s head has been turned by the newest recruit to the fire department, the classical Adonis figure of a fireman, Chris, only she makes him throw up. Chris may be god’s gift to women, but he can’t talk to them, is nervous as anything, and liable to make a fool of himself. The soul of chivalry, C.D. agrees to help Chris get his feelings across to Roxanne...

Picture

Roxanne gets a 2.40:1 widescreen 1080p transfer on this disc. The image is clean, clear and sharp, and stable, with little sign of print damage or age. However it doesn’t seem as if much more in the way of restoration has been done, as it lacks the clarity and pop of other catalogue films on Blu-ray. While excessive grain isn’t an issue, there is a slight softness to the image that could be attributed to the nature of the source material. Certainly detail levels aren’t as striking as they could be, and given the propensity to opt for long and mid-range shots, with fewer close-ups, the lack of detail is more apparent here than it would be on other films from the same era. It’s a bit of a shame as Roxanne is filmed in some beautiful locations, really emphasising the small-town, rustic nature of Nelson, and the gorgeous mountain country it nestles in. There is also one of the better make-up jobs in movie history, attaching Steve Martin to a legendary nose.

The images in this review were kindly supplied by Eureka Entertainment.

Sound

You have the choice between DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround English, the original stereo in PCM 2.0 form, both with optional English subtitles. I went with the surround track, but there’s little to separate it from the original stereo, with the surrounds mostly used for the music, and a hint of ambience. The film is very much a front and centre affair and the surround track is sympathetic to the original experience. The dialogue is clear throughout, apart from one incomprehensible French phrase.

Extras

The disc boots quickly to a static menu, where you’ll find the film’s theatrical trailer presented in HD.

Conclusion

There’s a reason why some moments stick in the mind while the rest of the film fades away. Roxanne is a perfectly enjoyable, entertaining and rather light romantic comedy, and Steve Martin is the best thing about it. So naturally the moment when he lets his comic talents run riot would stick in the mind first and foremost. But the problem with Roxanne is that it is clearly a Steve Martin vehicle, which makes its status as a romantic comedy a little questionable, as it should be a film with two leads, or rather given the triangle nature of the story, three. As it is, I find it just as hard to buy into Roxanne and C.D. as a couple as I do Roxanne and Chris.


There’s much to like about Roxanne though, particularly the portrayal of small town America, the sort of quirky close-knit community where everyone knows everyone else, and personality quirks and eccentricities get magnified. Visually, it’s an appealing town as well, far from the usual vision of little America that we usually get, almost an alpine feel to the mountain locations in terms of architecture and nature. There’s a lot of humour to be had from the incompetent fire-service, volunteers all, and with not an ounce of common sense between them. C.D. singlehandedly does all the rescue work, with a combination of gymnastic athleticism (probably the reason behind the lack of close-ups) and intelligence.


It’s a fairly likeable romantic comedy, and Daryl Hannah makes for a pleasant enough love interest, made all the more credible given a background as a scientist (although I have to forgive her for getting her top and bottom mixed up with her up and down; they hadn’t even discovered top when this movie was made). The farcical comedy that ensues once Chris comes into the picture, and C.D. helps him to woo Roxanne is funny enough, although it does veer towards cringe-inducing on a couple of occasions. I do know that cringe is a useful tool in the comedian’s arsenal, but I’d much rather laugh at a comedy than wince at it, especially a romantic comedy like this one. You do have to suspend a lot of disbelief to make the film work, most notably with Roxanne choosing not to be able to tell the difference between Chris and C.D. I’m reminded of a similar and funnier scene in Blackadder the Third.


In fact I’m also reminded of another film, as Hollywood had another go at the female scientist, duplicitous suitor romance which worked a lot better than Roxanne. Of course with I.Q. starring Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins, it had a lot more in the way of romantic comedy credentials, but both films have a female scientist looking for a comet, and both films have a suitor, coached to appear as something that he’s not, although I.Q. didn’t have the Cyrano de Bergerac storyline.


Roxanne is entertaining, and it is funny, but for a romantic comedy, its portrayal of small town America is funnier than the love farce, and in the end, it’s a Steve Martin vehicle first and foremost. It’s watchable enough, even if the picture quality of this Blu-ray doesn’t impress, or the lack of extra features.