To satisfy his creditors, a witty actor reinvents himself as a satirical playwright, with uproarious, yet bittersweet, results.

In 1657, playwright/actor Molière, having been given a theater in the capital by the King, is back in Paris after touring the kingdom of France with his company of players. One day, a young lady asks him to follow her to the deathbed of her mother... Thirteen years earlier, Molière already runs a troupe but goes broke and is thrown to prison. Fortunately (?) his debt is covered by Monsieur Jourdain, a rich man who wants him to help him rehearse a one-act play he has written with a view to seducing a beautiful bright young widow, Célimène. As Jourdain is married to Elmire, and is the "respectable" father of two daughters his design must remain secret so Molière is introduced into the house as Tartuffe, an austere priest...—Guy Bellinger

Bubbling with wit, stellar performances and lavish cinematography, MOLIÈRE stars multi-Cesar®-nominated French actor Romain Duris as Molière, a down-and-out actor-cum-playwright up to his ears in debt. When the wealthy Jourdain (Cesar®-winner Fabrice Luchini) offers to cover that debt (so that Molière's theatrical talents might help Jourdain win the heart of a certain widowed marquise), hilarity ensues. Disguised as a priest, Molière becomes a guest in Jourdain's palace on the pretext of teaching Jourdain the craft of the stage, which annoys his wife, Elmire. But, soon after, the confrontation between Elmire and Molière turns seductive. Too busy to notice, Jourdain enlists the aid of a well connected and scheming acquaintance, to help him pursue the young widow. Romantic yearning, human foibles and laughs galore all characterize MOLIÈRE, a delightful film that slyly captures your heart.

1644, Paris, and 22 year-old Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known as Moliere, is not yet the writer that history recognizes as the father and true master of comic satire, author of "The Misanthrope" and "Tartuffe", and a dramatist to rank alongside Shakespeare and Sophocles. Far from it. He is, in fact, a failed actor. His Illustrious Theatre Troupe, founded the previous year, is bankrupt. Hounded by creditors, Moliere is thrown into jail, released, then swiftly imprisoned again. When the jailors finally let him go, he disappears. The combined efforts of historians have unearthed no trace of him before his reappearance, several months later, when his troupe begins touring the provinces - a tour that will last for thirteen years, and culminate in Moliere's triumphant return to Paris in 1658. But what happened to Molière during these mysterious lost months ? Moliere, we discover, has been released from prison by a wealthy bourgeois, Monsieur Jourdain, who settled the young actor's debts on the understanding that he will teach him the craft of the stage. Jourdain, hungry for recognition, is infatuated with the lovely but poisonous Célimene, whose salon gathers together suitors and great wits. But the affair must remain secret, kept at all costs from Jourdain's wife Elmire, a wonderful woman with whom Moliere himself will fall headlong in love. Unfortunately for him, Jourdain has presented Moliere as Monsieur Tartuffe, an austere private tutor, to justify his presence. And Elmire has nothing but the harshest words for this holier-than-thou figure who has invaded her home. Trapped in this untenable situation, Moliere will experience all manner of events that will open his eyes and his mind, both to life itself and to his work as an artist. And it is from the heart of this tale, from his passion for Elmire, that Moliere the great dramatist is born.