Synopsis
A playwright gets inspiration from his own romance.

Review
Similar to Shakespeare in Love, Molière tells the imagined story of how a playwright got inspiration for one of (if not the) his greatest plays and does so with a humor and style befitting the original play. In 1658, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a.k.a. Molière (Duris), and his comedy troupe return to Paris after years of touring the French countryside playing their farces for a royal performance. Molière, wishing to start playing tragedies instead of comedies even though he's a horrid tragedian, is summoned to a woman's house, at which time he lapses into a memory. Years ago, he had been arreted for default on a loan; while in jail, he was let out under the condition that he teach the man who arranged for his freedom, M. Jourdain (Luchini), everything he knows about acting so that Jourdain may present a play he has written to a certain Marquise Célimène (Sagnier), with whom he has fallen in love (even though he's married). Molière reluctantly agrees and tries to help Jourdain, even though the play he's written is ghastly. Along the way, Molière meets Jourdain's wife Elmire (Morante) and falls in love. What follows is a very funny look at romance and life in much the same vein Molière's works are, showing us that comedy can say just as much about life and humanity as tragedy can. Romain Duris as Molière is very good, especially when the writer is trying to play tragedy and fails miserably. Duris brings a good mix of self-assuredness and doubt that all artists have at one time or another. Fabrice Luchini is incredibly funny as the hapless M. Jourdain, totally oblivious to his wife's romance with Molière, as well as the fact that his friend Dorante (Baer) is conning him out of money and jewels as a supposed courter of the Marquise in Jourdain's name. Laura MOrante is elegant as Elmire, who finds a passion again with Molière, but who has to decide what's more important. Add in Jourdain's daughter who wants to marry someone he doesn't (naturally) and you've got a mix of comedy that is golden. The style and feel of the movie is very nice, capturing 17th-century France very well and giving us a good taste of what it would have been like.

Highlights
the cast; "tragedy"; the Great Dane; mirrors; be a horse; revelations

Rating
I give this film a white wine rating; it's funny, romantic, and revealing. As a dramedy, it's very good. The villain of Dorante is quite good. The score by Talgorn fits very well, sounding very classical and lyrical.

See also:
Shakespeare in Love