I have to admit I had heard the name Moliere in history classes when I studied Drama many years ago and then, while traveling around France I had seen his name in various places but really didn't know too many details about his life other than the fact that he was considered one of Frances' greatest playwrights and comedy actors who performed for his most famous patron, King Louie XIV…

So, when I found this movie had been released and read about it I thought it would be something I would enjoy watching…and so it was!

I happen to enjoy lavishly made historic films that take place in Europe, affording me a look into the past and what life must have been like during certain periods of time.

This film takes place in 17th century during a period in Moliere's life when he mysteriously vanishes for a while…he actually did disappear and the film imagines what just might have taken place at that time in history. The movie is purely fictional but starts out with what is known until his disappearance, that he had been touring the countryside with his theater company and how he wanted to be considered a dramatic actor not just a comedy performer …he also was writing his own material for his stage presentations and for the other actors in his company but was not known as a writer yet… His wife was the star of these shows and knew he was despondent about his inability to be taken seriously when on the stage …he also apparently was not making enough money with these shows since unexpectedly, he was arrested and put in jail for not paying his debts….then, one day, he was mysteriously freed when his debts were paid by a mysterious Monsieur Durante, who worked for a wealthy the upper class gentleman, Monsieur Jourdain.

Jourdain,(Fabrice Luchini), was a strange sort of character, since he had a lovely wife Elmire, (Laura Morante), two daughters and a gorgeous palatial chateau, so it seemed he had it all, but apparently he wasn't happy and was infatuated by another woman, a seemingly beautiful and wealthy young widow, Celimene…Jourdain planned to woo her by writing a one act play in honor of her and act it out for her...Problem was, he had no talent, in the slightest manner, so he wanted to use Molieres talents on the sly.

Moliere enters the household disguised as Monsieur Tartuffe, a priest, who was supposed to be a tutor to the daughters, all sorts of wild and strange things occur when Moliere learns of Jourdains plan and how he wanted to use him and his gifted talents disguised as his own…Does a relationship develop between the attractive wife Elmire and Moliere? Does Jourdian gain the heart of the egotistic Celimene with this scheme of his?

As the movie progresses and Moliere attempts to hide his identity from Elmire and the rest of the household the fun and games really begin as we realize that beauty is really in the eyes of the beholder when some of the characters, are not as lovely as they would seem on the outside.

Though this story is fictional, there really was a time frame when Moliere did disappear and, when he returned, his fame began to grow after he accepted the fact that comedy really was his forte and appeared before the king who became his biggest fan…. Later he became the most popular comedy playwright of his time and historically, the French national theater, The Comedie Francaise, became known as the House of Moliere.

I really enjoyed this movie, the sets and clothing were quite lavish almost as much as Marie Antoinette and the story very engaging… Romain Duris, did a great job in his performance as Moliere, demonstrating his frustrations that he wasn't the dramatic actor he desired and when performing his comedic acts he took on a completely different persona…The convincing historical landscapes of the French country side, the grounds of the chateaux and villages were delightful to see, so much so, that I stayed glued to the credits so I could see just where the movie was filmed…all this and more rounded out the film to be a true pleasure and a treat, a peek into what was the imaginative and "mysterious" disappearance of this great historic figure as seen through the eyes of the writer and director Laurant Tirard, who, I thought did an outstanding job in bringing this story to the screen.

The movie was 120 minutes with no DVD extras except for previews of other movies.

In French with English sub-titles...


Main Cast:
Romain Duris - Moliere
Laura Morante - Elmire
Ludivine Sagnier - Celimene
Jean-Claude Jay - Charles
Fabrice Luchini - Jourdain
Edouard Baer - Durante

Director:
Laurent Tirard
Writers:
Jean-Claude Jay, Laurent Tirard, Gregoire Vigneron
Producers:
Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier




Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older