Molière (2007)

Director:

Laurent Tirard

Writers:

Grégoire Vigneron (scenario)
Laurent Tirard (scenario)

Release Date:

31 January 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | History

Plot:

Imprisoned for debt, playwright Molière is rescued by an aristocrat who needs his help in order to seduce a young marquise.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Play | Theater | 1640s | Playwright

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Romain Duris	...	Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
Fabrice Luchini	...	M. Jourdain
Laura Morante	...	Elmire Jourdain
Edouard Baer	...	Dorante
Ludivine Sagnier	...	Célimène
Fanny Valette	...	Henriette Jourdain
Gonzague Montuel	...	Valère
Gilian Petrovski	...	Thomas
Sophie-Charlotte Husson	...	Madeleine Béjart
Anne Suarez	...	Catherine de Brie
Annelise Hesme	...	Marquise du Parc
Luc Tremblais	...	Gros-René
Nicolas Vaude	...	Monsieur
Philippe du Janerand	...	Bonnefoy
Isabelle Caubère	...	Toinette
Mélanie Dos Santos	...	Louison - 8 ans
Pierre Laplace	...	Cyrano
Wilfred Benaïche	...	Jean Poquelin
François Civil	...	Louis Béjart - 14 ans
Jean-Michel Lahmi	...	Pinel
Marie Gili-Pierre	...	Geneviève
Arié Elmaleh	...	Maître de danse
Francis Van Litsenborgh	...	Notaire Dorante (as Francis Van Listenborgh)
Yves Robin	...	Huissier Delbosc
François Toumarkine	...	Huissier Missonnier
Isabelle Vitari	...	Précieuse 1
Mayane Delem	...	Précieuse 2 (as Mayane)
Vanessa Pivain	...	Précieuse 3
Nicolas Guillot	...	Laquais Jourdain
David Capelle	...	Domestique Jourdain 1
Frédéric Longbois	...	Domestique Jourdain 2
Florence d'Azémar	...	Servante Célimène
Stéphane Foenkinos	...	Valet Célimène
Antoine Blanquefort	...	Marquis
Caroline Gillain	...	Louison Jourdain - 21 ans
Daphné de Quatrebarbes	...	Dorine (as Daphné de Quatre Barbes)
Ivan Cori	...	Le jeune acteur
Clio Baran	...	La jeune actrice
Jean-Claude Jay	...	Charles Dufresne
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrice Camboni	...	Maître d'Armes
Eric Berger	...	Maître de peinture (uncredited)
Julien Etienne	...	Precieux (uncredited)

Directed by
Laurent Tirard

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Laurent Tirard		scenario
Grégoire Vigneron		scenario

Produced by
Christine De Jekel	....	executive producer
Olivier Delbosc	....	producer
Marc Missonnier	....	producer

Original Music by
Frédéric Talgorn

Cinematography by
Gilles Henry

Film Editing by
Valérie Deseine
Gilles Granier		(dailies color grader)

Casting by
Stéphane Foenkinos

Production Design by
Françoise Dupertuis

Set Decoration by
Véronique Melery

Costume Design by
Pierre-Jean Larroque

Makeup Department
Maya Benamer	....	makeup artist
Jean-Pierre Berroyer	....	key hair stylist
Michèle Constantinides	....	key makeup artist
Bénédicte De Lataillade	....	makeup artist
Catherine Gomez-Fernandez	....	hair stylist
Benoît Lestang	....	special makeup effects artist
Anne Moralis	....	wig maker
Frédérique Ney	....	key makeup artist
Cécile Pellerin	....	key makeup artist
Aurélie Rameau	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Julian Brehier	....	assistant production manager (as Julien Brehier)
Mathieu Gayet	....	assistant unit manager
Laurent Sivot	....	production manager
Antoine Théron	....	unit manager
Charles Zemer	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Corno	....	first assistant director
Geoffroy Koeberle	....	co-trainee assistant director
Lucas Loubaresse	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Lilith Bekmezian	....	assistant art director
Théophile de Montalivet	....	carpenter
Corinne Fulconis	....	painter
Véronique Pouzou	....	dresser
Martin Tronquart	....	assistant property master
Virginie Verdeaux	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Emmanuel Angrand	....	dialogue editor
Damien Bera	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christophe Burdet	....	assistant to foley artist
Colette Constantini	....	sound editor
Edouard d'Heucqueville	....	sound mix technician
Eric Devulder	....	sound
Marion Escriva	....	assistant sound
François Fayard	....	sound editor
Thomas Gauder	....	sound mixer
Denis Jaillet-Marsigny	....	sound effects editor
Alexis Jung	....	assistant foley recordist
Arthur Le Roux	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Chrystèle Barbarat	....	visual effects executive producer
Loïc Caer	....	visual effects
Sarah Cauchois	....	visual effects coordinator
Cédric Fayolle	....	visual effects supervisor
Fabrice Fernandez	....	digital compositor
David François	....	visual effects coordinator
Pascal Giroux	....	visual effects producer
Geoffroy Givry	....	compositor
Ludovic Iochem	....	matte painter
Sabine Lineres	....	digital compositor
Benoit Munoz	....	digital compositor
Hugues Namur	....	visual effects
Benjamin Pelletreau	....	digital artist
Marion Roger	....	senior digital compositor
Julien Rousseau	....	digital compositor
Vincent Venchiarutti	....	digital compositor
Salvador Zalvidea	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Corinne Branche	....	stunt coordinator: horse stunt
Georges Branche	....	stunt rider
Rémi Canaple	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Rémi Canaple	....	stunts wire effects
Rémi Canaple	....	stunts
Alexandre Cauderlier	....	stunt double: Romain Duris
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunts
Gaëlle Cohen	....	stunts
Yan Dron	....	stunts
Yves Girard	....	stunt rider
Gabriel Mercier	....	stunt double
Yoni Roch	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Sebastien Soudais	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Loïc Andrieu	....	Steadicam operator
Kamel Belaïd	....	electrician
Matilde Blancke	....	assistant camera
Mathieu Caudroy	....	Steadicam operator
Benoît Feller	....	second assistant camera
Bertrand Follet	....	first assistant camera: second unit
David le Mevel	....	electrician
Jean-Marie Leroy	....	still photographer
Alexandra Massetti	....	electrician
Pierre Michaud	....	gaffer
Samuel Renollet	....	assistant camera
Valerio Villalba	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Pascale Paddy	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Guillaume Attwood	....	costumer
Gilles Bodu-Lemoine	....	costume supervisor
Pui Laï Huam	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Jerome Brechet	....	dailies color grader
Christian Dutac	....	color timer: LTC

Music Department
Edouard Dubois	....	music consultant
Steve Price	....	music recording engineer
Frédéric Talgorn	....	conductor
Frédéric Talgorn	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Karine Arlot	....	monitor technician
Virginie Berrachi	....	assistant unit manager
Myriam Bruguière	....	press attache
Laurent Caron	....	assistant chef
Christophe Chauveau	....	key location scout
Romain Courtine	....	assistant location manager
Gilles Coutal	....	chef
Corinne Devaux	....	choreographer
Valérie Dompnier	....	production assistant
Mathieu Gayet	....	assistant unit manager
Olivier Guigues	....	press attache
Amélia Guyader	....	marketing manager
Arnaud Plé	....	assistant administrator
Jessica Sicouri	....	production assistant
Isabelle Thévenet	....	script supervisor (as Isabelle Perrin-Thévenet)
Pascal Vallart	....	production accountant
Charles Zemer	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Fidélité Productions
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• France 3 Cinéma (co-production)
• Wild Bunch (in association with)
• Canal+ (participation)
• TPS Star (participation)

Distributors

• Wild Bunch (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch Distribution (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Wild Side Vidéo (2007) (France) (DVD)
• A-Film Distribution (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• ACME (2007) (Estonia) (theatrical)
• ACME (2007) (Lithuania) (theatrical)
• ACME (2007) (Latvia) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Atalanta Filmes (2007) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Best Hollywood (2007) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cetera International (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2007-2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Imagem Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Indepenta Film (IF) (2007) (Romania) (theatrical)
• Quality Films (2007) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Christal Films (2006) (Canada) (all media)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Golem Distribución (2007) (Spain) (all media)
• Paradise Group (2007) (Russia) (all media)
• Teleview International (2007) (Lebanon) (TV) (Middle East)

Other Companies

• Air Lyndhurst Studios  music recording studio
• Milan Records  soundtrack
• Philharmonia Orchestra, The  orchestra

Also Known As:

Runtime:

France:120 min | Argentina:120 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:6 | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Malaysia:U | Sweden:Btl | Australia:PG | Finland:K-3 | Japan:G

Filming Locations:

Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, Yvelines, France

Company:

Fidélité Productions

Trivia:

The production hired a beautiful ancient harp from the Museo dell'Arpa Victor Salvi (Italy); the harp is dated 1760, so it is actually much later than Moliere's time.

Quotes:

Elmire Jourdain:Unhappiness has comic aspects one should never underestimate
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin:How could I joke about that which makes me weep? This type of comedy does not exist.
Elmire Jourdain:Well, then... invent it.

Movie Connections:

References Molière (1978)

Closing Night at the Seattle International Film Festival

The Seattle International Film festival has saved us from a droll and boring summer movie season. With sequels galore and some atrocious originals, it was nice to catch a screening of the closing night film at the festival last night: Molière. The film wins big, and hopefully will be nominated for best French film, director and actor (Romain Duris) when the Césars roll around next spring.

Molière is France's Shakespeare and his life and plays might not be familiar to most Americans. So French director Laurent Tirard decided three years ago to make a film that would bring the work and escapades of the famed writer more accessible to audiences. Tirard co-wrote the screenplay and assembled a top notch cast including Romain Duris (The Beat That My Heart Skipped), Fabrice Luchini (Intimate Strangers), Laura Morante (Avenue Montaigne) Edouard Baer (The Story of My Life), and the always wonderful Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool).

The story begins with Jean-Baptists Poquelin aka Molière (Duris) frantically trying to decide if he is to do a tragedy for his next play in front of the esteemed royal family despite the fact they desperately want a comedy. The film flashes back thirteen years earlier to when Poquelin has been thrown into jail because he could not pay a debt. While in jail, Monsieur Jourdain (Luchini) seeks out Molière's theatrical talents. Molière is whisked away to the Jourdain estate in disguise where he must help Jourdain win the esteem of a desired mistress (Sagnier) while keeping this all hidden from the eyes of Mme. Jourdain (Morante). In exchange for his services Molière's debt will be paid and forgiven. Bits and pieces of the rest of story seem familiar to anyone who's read Molière's plays, as this film sets the stage that these events inspire Molière to be the comedy writer that he became.

The film wins on many levels. The acting talent of Duris alone merits a viewing as well as the beautiful cinematography by Gilles Henry. The images were very colorful and beautifully framed. The magnificent locations that only France has to offer were wonderfully highlighted as well as extravagant costume design, hair and make up. The score written by Frédéric Talgorn was by far one of the best parts. His ability to weave fifteenth century musical themes into a robust, fun and energetic comedy score definitely is worth a second listening at home on a nice speaker system. Oh yeah, the film is also actually funny! There are some great scenes from the plays as well as some nice jokes toward a modern audience.

Molière has everything. It is a fantastically crafted and brilliant look at one of France's most famous artists. The film may run a bit long for some, but it's hardly noticeable when juxtaposed with the brilliants visuals, fantastic acting and wonderful music and sound design. The film also has heart and leaves us with a nice message to ponder when leaving the theater. When Molière releases in your area, don't miss it. The film is also appropriate for teenagers as the sexual content is rather minor. French teachers around America rejoice at a PG-13 French film they can show to their classes! Don't wait for DVD though; see this one on a big screen.