Cycling with Molière

Art imitates life in this gentle comedy about two actors rehearsing for a play. The struggling friends, down-on-his-luck Serge (Fabrice Luchini) and handsome TV star Gauthier (Lambert Wilson), decide to share roles in Gauthier’s upcoming production of their most-loved play, about struggling friends. As tensions grow through the rehearsals, so they do in reality.

Director, Phillipe Le Guay’s idea of using play rehearsals to convey true emotion is clever and interesting, but sadly not enough to keep it engaging.

Although there is nothing specifically wrong with Cycling With Molière, it doesn’t really captivate. Tensions are over petty issues, though that makes sense, since running high on passion may fit more at home in a French-set film. The most drama depicted is during rehearsals and although that may be the point, it makes the rest of the film fall flat. The audience doesn’t wonder “What’s going to happen?” but “Will anything happen?”

The plot is simple enough but predictable, reminding watchers of American high school films: two boys fight over one girl, one gets her, the other pretends he doesn’t care, then makes it obvious he cares and embarrasses himself in the process, but even that’s been done wilder. Surprisingly the ending is somewhat fresh, but nothing special happens there either.

What keeps you watching is the chuckle-inducing comedy. Between the “boys”’ different views on enunciation on stage and nearly drowning in a jacuzzi, plot is soon just a secondary forgotten issue lost amongst the men’s squabbles.

More than anything, it makes one me curious about the Molière play around which it is centred.

Laura Maxwell

Cycling with Moliere is released in selected cinemas on 4^th July 2014.

Watch the trailer for Cycling With Molière here: