Having turned his back on acting and retreated to the scenic Île de Ré, embittered thesp Serge Tanneur (Fabrice Luchini) is tempted out of retirement by TV soap star Gauthier Valence (Lambert Wilson), who wants his old friend to join him in a production of The Misanthrope. But who will play Alceste, and who Philinte? As the couple embark upon five days of role-swapping rehearsals, bickering rivalries surface, with Molière's still timely text fuelling the personal tensions between the disparately thwarted leads. Notable primarily for the gusto of Luchini and Wilson's snarky interaction, this French confection is as insubstantial as its title suggests – a sporadically enjoyable folie à deux; flippantly erudite, forgettably frothy.
Cycling With Molière review – flippantly erudite
This French comedy about two thesps rehearsing The Misanthrope is frothy but enjoyable, writes Mark Kermode