Molière on a Bicycle - DVD

Film: In the past, Serge Tanneur (Fabrice Luchini) was a celebrated actor whose whole passion belonged to the theater. But those days are long gone. He now lives in complete seclusion on the Ile de Ré and has vowed never to set foot on a stage again. He makes this clear to his former companion, the TV star Gauthier Valence (Lambert Wilson), when he suddenly appears at Serge's door and tries to persuade him to take part in his production of Molière's The Misanthrope. But Gauthier won't let up, and the prospect of playing his dream role of Alceste after all softens Serge. He agrees to spend a few days rehearsing the play with his old friend. If the feeling is right afterwards, he accepts the role. More and more Serge opens up again to the play and to his fellow men. When he meets the pretty Italian Francesca (Maya Sansa), everything seems to lead to a happy ending. But not only on the theatrical stages things often turn out differently than one thinks...

Philippe Le Guay, who was also able to land a respectable success in Germany with his last film Nur für Personal, attempts in Molière auf dem Fahrrad to pay tribute to the classic The Misanthrope in two respects. On the one hand, the work is the focus of the story, as it has always been a dream for both main characters to one day play the role of Alceste on stage. For another, the story itself is a kind of reinterpretation of Molière's comedy. Admittedly, the references to the Enemy of Man are general enough that you can have fun with the film even if you don't know Molière's classic. But only with the appropriate prior knowledge can the sometimes very cryptic humor fully unfold.

However, Molière on a Bicycle also works quite well simply as a story about two old friends connected by their love of the stage and trying to rekindle that bond. The two leads, Fabrice Luchini (Personnel Only, In Her House) and Lambert Wilson (Matrix 2 +3, Of Men and Gods) harmonize just great and the verbal battles the two keep having have a lot of wit and successful timing. To feel well entertained here, you really don't need to know The Misanthrope. It's only in the final act that a knowledge of the material really pays off. Because the more the two actors rehearse the play together, the more Serge internalizes the role of Alceste and the lines between stage and reality finally blur. His behaviour in this part of the film will be difficult to understand for some viewers who don't know the Misanthrope, which of course takes away a lot of the intentional impact of the whole thing.

However, whether you're a Molière connoisseur or not, Molière on a Bicycle is definitely very nice entertainment for lovers of French arthouse comedies. However, that's all it is. Because in the end, the script lacks a bit of bite. Especially since the film practically takes it upon itself to be compared to the comedic talent of Molière, it would have needed a more clever script to be able to live up to it. The basic idea, from lead actors Fabrice Luchini and Philippe Le Guay, is really quite amusing and the staging is filled with little successful moments. But in the end it just lacks the last spark to the really big ignition. If you don't need that and if you're just looking for nice entertainment with a literary reference, you can confidently get on your bike with Molière. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The DVD's picture captures the beautifully raw atmosphere on the Ile de Ré very well with good sharpness of detail and a coherent colour scheme. You'll look in vain for any major blurring, smudging or picture distortions here. The sound is overall rather restrained mixed, but especially in the scenes playing directly on the coast, an atmospheric surround feeling is pleasantly noticeable. Good!

Extras: As a bonus, the DVD has some cut scenes (about 17:55 min.) to offer, which include longer, worth seeing sequences, through which especially the character of Serge appears a little more multifaceted. In addition, there is an interesting making of (approx. 20:24 min.) as well as the trailer for the film. Good!

Conclusion: Molière on a bike is a nice, charming comedy that scores with two wonderful main actors, atmospheric locations and a very nice initial idea. While the script lacks a bit of bite at the end, it's certainly enough for nice, entertaining entertainment. Lovers of French arthouse comedies should not miss this technically well realized and with worth seeing bonus material equipped DVD therefore in any case. Recommended

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp