Dans le Peau de Cyrano, a film with many titles, centres on a stuttering Italian French teenager, Colin (Joachim Arseguel). He moves with his mother Giulian (Aure Atika) to rural Brest, where she enrolls him in a strict school. Luckily, the school’s new Classical Drama teacher, Mr. Deverseau (José Garcia), who has unconventional teaching techniques. For example, he goes hiking with them – gasp! He also assigns a controversial play for them to act out – Cyrano de Bergerac, and lets them choose their parts. Despite Colin’s speech problems, he chooses to play Cyrano, and Deverseau gives him a part requiring his full confidence.

Other viewers, even the ones I saw the film with at Cinefranco, compare this to the classic Dead Poets Society. I see more through lines between this and Ghostlight and Sing Sing, both about unlikely actors and their mentors. Jennifer Devoldère co-writes and directs Dans le Peau de Cyrano, and retelling a familiar story must have been a challenge. And yes, there are some holes in its world building, specifically with the school’s ‘strictness’ and what they allow for Deverseau. But then again, I did go to a Catholic school and some schools allow teachers moments of occasional subversion.

What elevates Dans le Peau de Cyrano is how it likes Colin and the other ‘good’ characters to succeed. Speaking of ‘good’ versus ‘evil’, the film knows how to represent the ‘bad’ characters and make them a bit complex. One of those characters is Delphine Quentin (Claire Dumas), who, as a faculty member, is technically one of the ‘Karens’. But the film introduces her having a good history with Guilia – there’s a nuanced community spirit here in general. Despite the community’s rigid Catholicism, many in this fictional world are willing to embrace some offbeat children and their teachers.