Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absolutely exquisite film about a literary giant, January 26, 2008
Moliére is the cinematic equivalent of a banquet of rich French delicacies. Every aspect of this film is exquisite - from the writing and directing to the sets and costumes. The cast is amazing.
This is a fanciful biography of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a.k.a. Moliére, the 17th century French playwright. History tells us that a very young Moliére was tossed into debtor's prison when his theater troupe went bankrupt. After his release from prison Moliére disappeared for a period of time. After he reappeared he spent 13 years touring, practicing his craft and making his name throughout the provinces of France before he conquered Paris. The film deals with the period of Moliére's disappearance. It takes the stance that the people he met and the adventures he had during this time were the inspiration for some of the most famous comedic plays in Western literature. Much of the action presented in the film combines characters, situations and devices taken directly from Moliére's works, notably `Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme' and `Tartuffe.'
On the farcical side, our Moliére has been freed from debtor's prison by Monsieur Jourdain who wants Moliére to teach him to act in order that he may romantically impress a certain young widowed Marquise with a one act play he has written in her honor. Jourdain needs Moliére in his home, but he can't reveal the true reason to his wife. So Moliére is disguised as Tartuffe, a priest who will serve as tutor to the youngest Jourdain daughter. Jourdain's plans for seduction also depend on the assistance of his confidante, the impoverished nobleman, Dorante. Meanwhile, Moliére/Tartuffe is developing a romantic interest in Jourdain's wife, Elmire. A pair of young lovers, Jourdain's daughter and her music teacher further complicate the action.
The story is modern, stylish and sexy, with comic and tragic elements that will charm you and hold your interest. You don't have to be a fan of 17th century French theater to appreciate it. However, if you're familiar with the plays, this movie will have more meaning as the dialog is packed with quotes from Moliére's work.
The DVD comes with a highly informative and entertaining commentary (in English) by director, Laurent Tirard. A "Making of...." feature is included, but doesn't add much to the package.
The film was mastered in HD. It's visually perfect.
In French with English or Spanish subtitles. Highly recommended!
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
3 1/2 Stars: Leather and Lace, February 17, 2008
Director/Writer Laurent Tirard and co-writer Grégoire Vigneron have wisely decided to make this film about a short period of Moliere's (a can this actor do no wrong, Romain Duris?) life rather than attempt to make a survey film about Moliere's entire life. As such this "Moliere" sketches in the mysterious lost years of Jean Baptiste Poquelin's life and mostly to good advantage.
Physically "Moliere" is an absolutely sumptuous affair: all plush velvet and silks, shot in remarkably gorgeous saturated color. Also on the plus side is the performance of Romain Duris ("The Beat that My Heart Skipped") as Moliere as well as the Elmire Jourdain (wife of M. Jourdain who has hired Moliere to teach him the fine points of acting and seduction so that he can seduce another woman) of the perpetually sexy and sultry Laura Morente whose revealing bodice causes her husband untold consternation.
Duris plays Moliere in the grand style: artificial, over-the-top as if he were in a Moliere farce. In most movies this would be completely out of place but here it works as the writers have incorporated pieces of several Moliere plays herein and Duris merely goes with the proverbial flow. His Moliere is at turns confident, sure of himself and at others completely at odds with the world and flummoxed by pretty much everything. Duris's Moliere is a fine tuned performance: a completely controlled one full of absurdity and irony yet always human and thoughtful.
"Moliere" goes on a bit too long and Tirard's attempt to make this a Moliere farce at times falls flat but nonetheless this is a good film with better performances and without a doubt a feast for the eyes if not always for the ears.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Molière dans l'Amour, February 29, 2008
In case you were wondering it is not official and there is now a sub-genre of historical fiction films that we will call "Shakespeare in Love." These are films in which case we learn that (gasp!) the life of a famous author parallels one of their most famous works. For Wm. Shakespeare it was a mixture of "Romeo & Juliet" and "Twelfth Night." "Becoming Jane" purports to find the real Mr. Darcy in the life of Jane Austen. Here, despite a title suggesting that this is a look at the entire life of the celebrated French playwright, we discover that "Tartuffe," arguably the best of the comedies of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (the artist known as Molière), was based on a personal tragedy. This, of course, echoes the whole "laugh clown even though your heart is breaking" idea personified by Canio's "Vesti la giubba" aria from "Pagliacci," which is clearly a key element of this particular sub-genre. I bring all of this up because if I had not seen the other films cited above, then I might have a higher estimation of "Molière." Instead, I am wondering if there will be similar films made about the attendant ironies between creators and creations for the likes of Sophocles, Henrik Ibsen, or anybody else that comes to mind down to Stephen King. Just imagine the existentialist trauma of "Samuel Beckett in Love."
"Molière" begins in 1658, when the playwright and actor, played by Romain Duris, returns to Paris from touring France with his company of players. He has been given a theater by the King and instead of doing one of the farces for which he has become well known, Molière aspires to write something better. Then a young woman shows up and requests that he accompany her to the deathbed of her mother. We then go back a dozen years when Molière troupe is so bankrupt that he is thrown into prison (but not after getting a lot of laughs from his audience). Molière's is saved by the wealthy Monsieur Jourdain (Fabrice Luchini), who likes to hire experts to help with his various needs and who requires a playwright to help him rehearse a play he has written to seduce the beautiful widow Célimène (Ludivine Sagnier). The fact that Jourdain is married to Elmire (Laura Morante) requires the playwright to do so incognito. Hence he presents himself to the rest of Jourdain's family as a priest named...Tartuffe.
As was the case with "Shakespeare in Love," where the more you remembered about "Romeo & Juliet" and "Twelfth Night," the more you could appreciate what was happening in the story, the same applies here with regards to Molière's "Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur" ("Tartuffe or the Hypocrite"). For example, the name Tartuffe is not the only one to be recognized from the play and provides your first major clue as to who the playwright's love interest will be in the film. Those who are familiar with Molière's work will also see echoes of scenes from both "Le Misanthrope" ("The Misanthrope"), and "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" ("The Bourgeois Gentleman"). This is not to say that this 2007 film does not work unless you know your Molière, but rather to say that there are levels to these film only accessible to those few person.
Director Laurent Tirard ("The Story Of My Life / Mensonges et trahisons et plus si affinites"), who co-wrote the screenplay with Grégoire Vigneron, is basically trying to turn the unknown part of Molière's life into one of the playwright's comedy of manners. The trick, of course, is for the cast to act this out in a much more realistic manner than we would see watching a Molière play performed on stage. Consequently the proceeding are relatively sedate and despite the inherent irony of the situation, not as comic as a Molière comedy. However, that is necessary to set up the final scenes of the film, both in the past and the "present," where things take a more serious turn. I actually liked the ending(s), considerably more than the set up. Duris' best moments are the few where his character gets to show his comic genius on stage, but it is Luchini who turns in the film's best performance as Jourdain. Since the film is in French with subtitles, that probably increases the odds that those on this side of the Pond who decide to check it out will do so because these like Molière's plays and will appreciate all the nods and winks ot his work. But those who are starting to overdose on these authors in love movies might not want to bother with another one.
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