If you don’t mind or can understand French then you shouldn’t miss Moliere.

Jean Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Moliere, is the father and true master of comic satire with more than 30 plays (well known for The misanthrope and Tartuffe) diving into the world of political and bourgeois hypocrisy as well as being a very good portrayal of human folly and ridiculousness.

The film is set in 1658 France when the 22 year old Jean Baptiste, hounded by creditors is thrown into jail, released and then imprisoned again. When the jailors let him go, he disappears for several months without a single trace only to reappear and start touring the provinces with his troupe for the next 13 years becoming the triumphant playwright and actor that we know today.

The movie is a fantasy about the period he was away and when he is supposed to be hired by a businessman named Jourdain to teach him the craft of the stage so he could win the cold heart of Celimene, a widow duchess who doesn’t even know he exists.

Jourdain arranges for Molière to stay at his estate disguised as a priest so that his wife, the beautiful Elmire, will not become suspicious. Unfortunately for him, Elmire catches the eye of Moliere and then both Moliere and Elmire fall in love for each other.

Trapped in this untenable situation, Molière will experience all sorts of events that will open his eyes and his mind. It is from the wisdom of this tale and from his passion for Elmire that Molière the great dramatist is born.

I’m not going to revel the ending of the story but I have to say that it’s very touching and it’s here that you fully understand the pain behind Molière’s comedy and you realize that comedy can explore humanity just as deeply as tragedy.

While the film is rather talky and passes as entertainment, it’s also a wonderful, complex and serious romance story with some surprisingly acts.

He sure captured my heart for the entirely 2 hours.