Synopsis
Molière, a down-and-out actor-cum-playwright up to his ears in debt. When the wealthy Jourdain offers to cover that debt so that Molière's theatrical talents might help Jourdain win the heart of a certain widowed marquise, hilarity ensues.
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Cast
- Romain DurisMoliere
- Fabrice LuchiniM. Jourdain
- Édouard BaerDorante
- Ludivine SagnierCelimene
- Laura MoranteElmire Jourdain
- Fanny ValetteHenriette Jourdain
- Gonzague MontuelValère
- Gilian PetrovskiThomas
- Sophie-Charlotte HussonMadeleine Béjart
- Anne SuarezCatherine de Brie
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Witty, enjoyable costume drama imagines formative episode in life of French comedy giant. - 80
Variety
Romance, creativity, subterfuge and repartee are among the pleasures to be had in Moliere, a consistently diverting, bittersweet costumer. - 75
Christian Science Monitor
As Molière, Romain Duris is frisky and, playing the wife of his benefactor, Laura Morante proves once again that she is one of the most intelligent and attractive actresses in the world. - 75
New York Daily News
The actors elevate what might have been fluff into a genuinely moving tale, and the action is so much fun that it doesn't even matter if you've seen Molière's plays before. - 75
The A.V. Club
A Molière this good deserves a more substantive portrait, but this one will do for now. - 70
The New Yorker
Yet the film, directed by Laurent Tirard, has something. To be exact, it has Fabrice Luchini and Laura Morante, as M. and Mme. Jourdain. - 70
Village Voice
Tirard unwinds the action slow and steady, which makes for a slackly paced first hour that all but destroys the movie. Hang in and you'll see the method in this seemingly perverse strategy, as the young blade grows a passion for the highly strung, cultivated lady of the house, beautifully played by Europe's reigning queen of barely suppressed hysteria, Laura Morante. - 63
TV Guide Magazine
While none of this is meant to be taken seriously, the premise demeans Moliere's great achievement.
