Molière

Returning to Paris after years spent touring the countryside with his troupe, during which they gained fame for their skill at farce, Molière contemplates what to present in Paris. He would like to write a serious work, but his troupe mates object that he's no good at tragedy; and his royal patron also insists on comedy. He then reflects upon the events that led to the troupe's travels. The unfolding of this story constitutes most of the film, beginning with the troupe's bankruptcy. Molière is rescued from debtor's prison by a wealthy man who wants to hire him to coach him in acting and writing skills for the purpose of wooing a charming young woman - never mind that he is married - with payment conditional on his success. Desperate, Molière agrees, and comes to live in the man's household disguised as a priest hired to tutor the younger of two daughters. A keen observer, Molière quickly discovers that his employer is comically inept at everything he attempts; his supposed friend, supposedly conveying messages and gifts to the object of his ardor, is swindling him; his wife is kind, attractive and intelligent, and deserves better; and the older daughter has a romance that she keeps secret from her father, with her mother's tacit approval. Can Molière succeed at his task without becoming embroiled in all of these twists and turns as they wind their way toward an improbable convergence? Clearly not: Molière has found himself a player in a hilarious real-life farce, entangling himself ever more deeply and ultimately discovering the currents of tragedy that flow beneath the surface of the absurd.