Director Laurent Tirard's latest film, Moliere, depicts a relatively unknown period in the life of playwright and actor Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Moliere. In this fictionalised version of events, Tirard attempts to explain how the 17th century literary figure's early life may have influenced his later works. After Moliere (heartthrob Romain Duris from Paris, Spanish Apartment) is placed in a debtors' prison, French aristocrat Jourdain (Fabrice Luchini) proposes to pay the impresario's debt in exchange for acting lessons so he can pursue a wealthy, intellectual widow. An extremely traditional farce follows as Moliere falls in love with Jourdain's neglected wife, Elmire (Laura Morante), all the while trying to conceal the reasoning behind his extended stay with the family. He also meets his match in Dorante (Edouard Baer), a status-seeking friend of Jourdain's, adding another subplot to the film, as each are skilled in the art of deception and play a game of cat-and-mouse in an effort to possess the people they want within the troubled circle. When Moliere's plans begin to unravel, he is forced to leave the mansion.

Romain Duris comes off a little soggy despite his chemistry with Morante - which almost succeeds in making the cliched plot worthy - while Luchini makes for a convincing, bungling aristocrat. Tirard succeeds in revealing Moliere's desire for artistic fame, as the playwright remains plagued by his comedic routines, which compromise his quest to craft the drama to which he aspires. It's clear from the outset of the film that it's not going to be a cracker, but Moliere nevertheless holds its own as a slickly produced playful romantic-comedy that leaves the audience smiling.