I had intentions of just taking a peek at Molière as I didn't believe it would hold my attention. How wrong I was! It's a delightful romp with a somewhat intriguing story -- although it could have been cut by 30 minutes and not missed a beat.

Playwright Jean-Pierre Poquelin, known as Molière (Romain Duris, Le Divorce), and his troupe of players have returned to Paris in the mid 1600s after touring France and entertaining with one farce after another. When Molière steps on the beautiful stage given him by the King, he feels compelled to do a tragedy rather than a comedy. Not only is his troupe aghast at this notion, so are the locals who demand a comedy.

As Molière stares into the row of empty seats wondering what he will do, the story transitions back 13 years when he was thrown in jail for not paying his debts. He's surprised when Monsieur Jourdain (Fabrice Luchini), a compete stranger, shows up and pays the fines to get him out of jail. After paying Molière's debt, Jourdain explains that he wants Molière to come home and teach him how to perform. Jourdain has written a one-act play that he hopes will entice the beautiful and quite gregarious young widow, Célimène (Ludivine Sagnier) to be his mistress.

To shield his real purpose for being in the house, Jourdain has Molière call himself Tartuffe and use the disguise of a priest. Molière doesn't take the task serious but promises anything to get out of jail, believing he can draw out his duty and have a pleasant and lengthy stay.  Jourdain explains to his wife Elmire (Laura Morante) that Tartuffe will mentor the couple's two daughters (Fanny Valette and Mélanie Dos Santos).

Within no time Molière finds Elmire not only a neglected wife, but a beautiful and appealing young woman. She, deprived of any affection by her narrow-minded husband, is attracted to the young man who's near her every day and is sexually arousing, even though he's a priest. The two soon become lovers who can't pass one another without a grope and an embrace. Elmire leaves her room every night to join Molière in the dark gardens.

In order to make his acquaintance known to Célimène, Jourdain has set up an alliance with Dorante (Edouard Baer), who although he has a title, is a penniless and conniving charlatan. He visits Jourdain often to get another sack of coins and to offer a report about how he's waiting for the right moment to introduce Jourdain to Célimène. He convinces Jourdain he must also send lavish gifts to the young woman anonymously, which he of course, keeps or gives her as a gift from himself.

The story takes shape as an amusing merry-go-round with everyone chasing a different kind of ring. When Jourdain is finally taken to meet Célimène and hear his play, he's dismissed as a buffoon. Molière and Elmire fall deeply in love and decide to run away together until Jourdain decides their daughter Henriette (Valette) must marry Dorante's son so she can have a title. Elmire, against this as she knows her daughter is in love with their' neighbor's son,  does not want Henriette to live a loveless marriage like her own. Chaos ensues exactly like in a comedy  Molière would write.

The lead actors in Molière are quite engaging. Although I admit there are too many times when Molière's blank stare offers nothing but dead moments in the story, Romain Duris's portrayal of a pauper, an actor and a lover are all very lively. Fabrice Luchini (Intimate Strangers), a noted French award-winning actor, is a delight. No matter how blind he is to his predicament, there's always an underlying joy and naiveté about him that made me smile. Laura Morante was wonderful in The Son's Room (2001) and equally effective here. She handles the dual role of the emotionally distraught and ignored wife and the jubilant newly sexually-awakened lover exceptionally well. Baer is deliciously evil as Dorante.

Even though this tale about Molière is not exactly based on truth, it features nice twists while offering viewers a chance to jump back into a different historic period for a glimpse of the famous playwright. It also provides a relaxing time to enjoy some frivolity.

(Released by Sony Pictures Classics and rated "PG-13" for some sexual content.)

Review also posted on www.reviewexpress.com.