Roxanne Blu-ray offers solid video and decent audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release
A big-nosed fire chief (Steve Martin) writes love notes to a gorgeous astronomy student (Daryl
Hannah) for a tongue-tied friend, then falls for her himself.
Quickly, rattle off 20 jokes about a man with an extra-large sniffer. The 1987 Steve Martin
(Father of the Bride) and Darryl Hannah (Wall Street) Comedy
Roxanne provides that material and more as it tells the tale of a man who loves a woman --
but cannot see past his own nose, a physical nuisance and mental handicap he both embraces and
despises. Based on the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac, Roxanne offers a modern
(in a 1980s sort of way) retelling of a classic tale about the true meaning of love. Featuring a witty
script penned by Martin, several good performances, plenty of laughs, and a message on the
importance of individuality and reaching for the stars, Roxanne remains a lighthearted and
breezy Romantic Comedy more than 20 years after its initial release.
The most distinctive profile in movie history?
C.D. Bales (Martin), a local fire chief and minor celebrity thanks to his inches-long nose, one
evening acrobatically rescues a beautiful local, Roxanne (Hannah), from an accident that saw her
locked out of her own home -- and in the nude. As the two become friends and slowly develop
feelings for one another, local gossip says Roxanne has fallen for C.D., nose and all.
Unfortunately, she reveals to her hero that she is really in love with the handsome new arrival in
town, Chris (Rick Rossovich, Top Gun), himself a
firefighter working under C.D. Each man possesses that which the other lacks: Chris rugged good
looks and C.D. a gift for the spoken and written word. Though a ladies man,
Chris struggles to be himself in front of Roxanne -- and enlists the help of C.D. to pen her the
perfect love letter. When the fire chief reluctantly does so, it becomes his words -- and his love --
that is expressed in the letters. Will true love seek out the real author of the words that have
touched a young lady's heart, or will Roxanne settle for a man that offers little more than good
looks?
Though dated by its hairdos and music, Roxanne retains a timeless theme of love and
individuality, of the connection between souls and the disconnect between physical appearance
and
emotional, mental, and spiritual maturity. The movie is no more about a nose than it is about
baseball;
C.D.'s nose is simply a device incorporated into the story to show that true love sees past the
physical and instead gazes into the soul, where beauty is defined by actions and words, not
dreamy
blue eyes, a muscular build, or, yes, the size of one's nose. However, the nose does serve as a
plot
device to allow for the telling of several jokes, most of which work nicely in the context of the
movie. Roxanne embraces the nose and gets an enormous amount of play out if, and
for
the most part, the avalanche of jokes and references work. The jokes never interfere with the
flow
or message of the movie, and while many of the situations are utterly predictable (how to keep
the
nose out of a glass full of wine or moving around to find the right angle for that awkward first
kiss),
they work nicely, thanks mostly to the solid outing turned in by Steve Martin, his comedic timing
and physical performance both shining brightly throughout.
Roxanne turns in a very precise three-act story with each third clearly delineated by
theme. The first act sees character introduction and development, both handled rather well with
enjoyable banter between characters, including several memorable scenes delivered by Martin,
not to mention a classic sequence introducing the nose. The second act sees plenty of laughs but
serves as a discovery period where C.D.'s true feelings for Roxanne are revealed as he
acts as an intermediary of sorts between Roxanne and Chris. The third act, unfortunately, seems
to slow considerably compared to the light, swift, and charming first and second. Here, the film
seems to take forever to reach the inevitable conclusion, and given that there is never any doubt
as to the resolution, it seems to overextend its welcome while lowering the LPM (Laughs Per
Minute) considerably compared to the rapid-fire speed of the humor in the earlier segments of the
film. Thankfully, the first and second acts, where the film takes its time in developing its
characters and setting up the primary conflict of the story, makes it well worth watching. All
things considered, though, Roxanne makes for a solid entry into the annals of the
Romantic Comedy. Martin and Hannah share good chemistry, and Rick Rossovich turns in a good
performance as Chris.
Roxanne inches onto Blu-ray with a hit-or-miss 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. The
transfer features heavy layers of grain in some scenes but is practically free of it in others. It's also
a bit soft in some shots yet adequately sharp in others. The transfer is sometimes dim, but at
other times nicely rendered, crisp, and clear. Roxanne is a rather colorful film, the colors
nicely rendered,
be they a pink neon sign, green outdoor foliage, or the red of the town's fire engine.
Interior shots also fare nicely; the inside of Roxanne's home features a nice level of detail as the
camera pans around the warm, inviting interior, the wood panels on the walls, kitchen countertops
and kitchen tables, for example, offer an adequate level of visible information. Flesh tones are good,
and black levels are decent. All things considered, Roxanne looks fine on Blu-ray, even if
some shots aren't as pretty as others.
Roxanne doesn't smoke Blu-ray with a powerful and engaging soundtrack. Instead, its
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless offering presents the limited and somewhat bland sound design as
intended. The smooth Jazz heard over the opening credits plays crisply and clearly, delivering
adequate notes throughout the entire range. It's soft and spacious, filling the room nicely. As the
film goes by, the vast majority of the track is placed across the front and primarily in the center
channel. A few effects manage to move noticeably between the speakers to add some dimension
and flow to the track. The rear channels seemingly remain silent throughout the experience.
Dialogue reproduction suffices in nearly every scene. Roxanne doesn't offer much
range, but this lossless soundtrack provides all the information one needs to hear to make the
movie work.
Mention Steve Martin, and Roxanne cannot be far behind. Though perhaps not the actor's
best
work or most famous role (Father of the Bride, The Jerk, and Neal Page from
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles may have those markets cornered), his effort here -- and
certainly his nose -- represents the actor's most memorable and identifiable feature. Though the
movie fades in its
final
act, Roxanne delivers the goods most of the way through and is well worth watching for
the classic Martin performance. Sony's Blu-ray release is fine from an audio and video perspective,
the 1080p transfer and lossless soundtracks both adequate in presentation, but the absence of
special features is sure to disappoint fans. As such, the disc comes recommended as a rental for
most and a purchase only for Blu-ray completists and lifelong Steve Martin and Roxanne
fans.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that they will bring the Steve Martin romantic comedy 'Roxanne' and the Nicolas Cage romantic comedy 'It Could Happen to You' to Blu-ray on May 5th. Both films will be presented in 1080p AVC video accompanied by 5.1 ...
