Page 2 March 3, 2022
Entertainment
Film Review Check It Out
Bright Burning Things
by Lisa Harding
By Library Assistant Mary Martes
Single mother Sonya, once a glittering
ingenue and celebrated actress, is now living
on the dole with her young son Tommy. Still
young and beautiful, her life has narrowed to
Tommy, and the wine that eases her confusion
and desperation, and wards off the angry swarm
of voices in her head. A story of addiction and
recovery, this deep dive into Sonya’s psychosis
and alcoholism is harrowing but ultimately a
tale of redemption.
Estranged from her father and having lost her
mother at a young age, Sonya is struggling to
raise Tommy on her own. She has no friends
and no other family to help or support her, nor
does she want any. Four-year-old Tommy was
the result of a love affair with a callow man
who had no intention of being a father. The
daily demands of motherhood create a separation
from reality while she struggles to raise
Tommy on her own. Her obsessive, possessive
love for him is second only to her love of the
bottle. As she sinks deeper into intoxication,
her sanity begins to slip. Riddled with profound
lack of self-esteem, always waiting to be found
a fraud, Sonya becomes increasingly unhinged.
Her “imp, bad fairy” takes over and she loses
control, spewing vitriol to any who dare to
question her parenting. She creates a fanciful
world with Tommy that they alone inhabit.
She fails to see that she is becoming a danger
to Tommy. Speeding through traffic for the
adrenaline rush, stealing groceries, burning
the food she does attempt, failing to feed or
bathe him leaves him neglected, starving and
dirty. Lost in her fog, she fails to notice she
is being monitored and one last careless act
finally forces her to confront her demons.
Tommy is taken to live with foster parents
while she attends a treatment facility. She may
be there under her own volition, but Sonya
does not think she really has a problem. In
her mind, all she needs is Tommy. As she
struggles, she begins to see more clearly and
finds a mentor of sorts. Tommy struggles as
well. He is angry and confused that Sonya
left him without a good bye. Her journey to
sobriety and back to Tommy is rendered in
heartbreaking reality with a skillful hand. At
times difficult and disturbing, this is a novel
well worth discovering.
To discover more redemptive reads, stop by
the adult service desk or check out our online
catalog at www.elsegundolibrary.org. •
The Sweeping Musical ‘Cyrano’
Aims For The Heart, and Hits
By Ryan Rojas for Cinemacy.com
Where to watch: ‘Cyrano’ is now playing
in theaters.
The new movie Cyrano is a heartfelt romantic
musical that turned me into putty in its
hands. Based on the timeless tale of Cyrano
de Bergerac–a man gifted with words yet
fated with an unconventional appearance–it’s
the story of a heartbreaking and tragic love
triangle. However, seeing the power of true
love on screen also makes for one of the most
uplifting movies to see this season.
When he learns that his friend and secret
love, Roxanne, has fallen in love with another
man, the gifted wordsmith Cyrano agrees
to write his love letters to her. Concealing
his own feelings, he resigns to living a life
where he hides away his love. Directed by
Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice),
Cyrano stars Peter Dinklage in the title role.
The original story goes back to the classic
“Cyrano de Bergerac,” written by Edmond
Rostand. Director Joe Wright’s Cyrano is
based on the most recent stage play adapted
and directed by Erica Schmidt (who’s married
to Dinklage). Previous versions of the
story make Cyrano’s comically long nose
his character’s tragic physical feature. Yet the
film uses Peter Dinklage’s short stature as the
attribute that fuels Cyrano’s insecurities and
society’s rebuke.
For such an open-hearted romantic musical
to work, the music needs to be truly moving.
And this score is. Written by The National
(music written by Aaron & Bryce Dessner
and lyrics by Matt Berninger & Carin Besser),
Cyrano‘s soundtrack is brooding and moving
in ways that fans of the band will recognize.
The most sweeping song that is sure to stick
with audiences is “Someone to Say.” It’s
a heartwrenching and beautiful song that’s
buried itself deep in my head since seeing it
in the film’s trailer.
As the title character, Peter Dinklage captivates
and commands the screen. He showcases
his trademark charm and wit. But seeing
him long for Roxanne as a sort of doomed
“Phantom of the Opera” shows even more
range than what we’ve seen from him before.
His chemistry with Roxanne–the centerpiece
romance of the film–is also uplifting and
heart-aching. As Roxanne, Haley Bennett is
wonderful. Her singing voice is beautiful,
her character desirable, and her character so
pure-hearted.
Rounding out the cast is Kelvin Harrison
Jr. as the young Christian. As the one who
Roxanne falls in love with, at first sight, his
role is tricky. Christian needs to play the
“dumb hunk” who needs Cyrano’s words, but
also someone with who we connect to and
sympathize with. And Harrison Jr. plays both
sides well, with a great singing voice too. The
real villain role is saved for Ben Mendelsohn.
As the powerful De Guiche, Mendelsohn
snarls his way into banishing both Cyrano
and Christian away from Roxanne–who De
Guiche himself is set to marry–by sending them
into a war that looms large over the country.
If there’s anyone who knows how to make
an impassioned romantic period piece film,
it’s Joe Wright. His most recent sweeping
love stories Pride & Prejudice (2005) and
Atonement (2007) are among the more recent
classic love stories in modern cinema. Although
Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding.
Mary Martes
Haley Bennett stars as Roxanne and Peter Dinklage as Cyrano in Joe Wright’s Cyrano. Photo courtesy Cinemacy.com.
See Film Review, page 5
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