Molière

It's an old saw in creative writing classes to write about what you know, and like Shakespeare in Love, Laurent Tirard's Molière creates a fictional story illustrating how the 17th-century French playwright's work derived from his own experiences. The premise is that in 1645, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin—pen name Molière—was trapped in a farcical romantic triangle involving a wealthy man and his lovely wife, and later transformed the episode into classic stage comedies such as Tartuffe. Here, the young writer (played by Romain Duris) is tossed into jail for failing to pay the debts of his theatrical troupe, but he's sprung by a rich merchant who wants the playwright to teach him stagecraft in order to further his chances of wooing a young countess. But to fool the merchant's beautiful wife, MoliPre must pose as a clergyman come to tutor the couple's daughter. Of course, Molière falls for the merchant's wife and romances her in the guise of a secret admirer, and the proverbial complications ensue. Unfortunately, a winning premise and handsome production values are not enough to lift this curiously stolid film. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Laurent Tirard, a 27-minute “making-of” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven film.] (F. Swietek)