The Half of It (2020)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Cyrano Effect

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac has been adapted into many movies — including versions starring José Ferrer, Gérard Depardieu, Steve Martin, and Peter Dinklage — but none are quite like The Half of It. This time the Cyrano character — an outcast who has an unrequited romantic longing and a way with words — is Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), a shy, sad high school student in the town of Squahamish. She covers her grieving father's job as a railroad station master and makes money writing papers for other students. She's approached by football player and secret sausage chef Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) and hired to write a letter to the pretty Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire). Of course, Ellie falls for Aster as well, and their written exchanges are as passionate as Aster's verbal exchanges with Paul are awkward. Remarkably, the movie avoids most of the cliches involving the "lie plot," as the characters and their interactions grow subtler and more complex. It even manages a fairly realistic and satisfying ending without feeling tacked-on or phony. This is a real treasure.