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SYNOPSIS:
At the age of 22, following a spell of imprisonment for debt,
Molière - a well-born young man who had abandoned his
privileges of his birth for love of a woman and the theatre
- disappeared without trace for several months. Taking this
mystery - which has never been explained - as our starting
point. The makers of this film have concocted an elaborate
historical fiction, an adventure in which young Moliere finds
himself caught up, a tale of deceit and disguise of theatre,
danger and passion. A story from which Moliere would emerge
as the greatest author in the history of the French stage.
MOVIE
REVIEW
There are few French films which misses the mark
– there is always this sophisticated air around French
films which always make them interesting and engaging to watch.
Somehow, French films always feature a smartly scripted screenplay
that makes them appealing to watch – you never know
what is round the corner because there always seems to be
a charming surprise waiting for you when you least expect
it.
This
2007 picture directed by Laurent Tirard tells the story of
playwright cum actor Molière, who lives in the era
of 1658. We see Molière running a theatre troupe but
eventually go broke and get thrown to prison. A rich man offers
to help him by asking him to rehearse a one act play he has
written, and also to seduce a beautiful bright young widow.
Complications arise when relationships become entangled and
art and life events become increasingly mixed up in this 120
minute picture.
If
you are a viewer with low attention span, this movie may not
be your cup of tea because you’d need to follow the
plot developments throughout. There are no distractions in
the form of Hollywood styled car explosions and sophisticated
computer generated effects. All you get here are down to earth
acting by the entire cast, which includes the charming Romain
Duris (The Beat That My Heart Skipped), the grounded Fabrice
Luchini (The Cost of Living), the dignified Laura Morante
(Private Fears in Public Places) and the luminous Ludivine
Sagnier (Swimming Pool). Playing the principal characters
of the movie, these acclaimed actors effortlessly bring the
period roles to life.
Maybe
it’s because the dialogues are in French, viewers can
almost feel the elegant and classy style of writing that writers
Tirard and Gregoire Vigneron put into the script. Watch out
also for the intricate and detailed art direction where elaborate
costumes, green lawns and magnificent horses compliment the
film nicely.
One
central theme in this comedy is love, and any avid movie enthusiast
will tell you that romance is one sure win component of a
winning production, because we are all suckers for all things
romantic. You’ll be captivated as Moliere begins seducing
the widow and slowly falling for here. Sure, it’s no
innovative plot, but true love always manages to charm the
most cynical. The most important ingredient of this picture
has to be its comedy element, which makes the viewing experience
a breezy affair.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Code 3 disc contains no special features.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
There
is nothing to complain about the disc’s visual transfer,
while the film is presented in its original French Dolby Digital
2.0 soundtrack.
MOVIE
RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
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