Cycling With Moliere

Released Apr 25, 2014

1h 44m

Comedy

List

76%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

54%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Retired actor Serge (Fabrice Luchini) is approached by Gauthier (Lambert Wilson) to star in a play, but he plays hard to get. Serge's new lover, the play's producer, and his agent arrive on the same weekend to pressure him to make up his mind.

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Audience Member

Wilson et Luchini, parfaits dans ce film de Philippe Le Guay. Un film sur les amitiés nouvelles, celles impossible et la solitude. Et du coup, une envie folle de visiter l'Île de Ré...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The depressed, uneven, tightly-wound Serge is expertly played by Luchini. For his performance alone, this film is worth watching. The tormented and tormentor lies under the skin of this frail framed, pale-blue eyed man. Particularly when he breaks in an open and cloudless smile. Compared with him, all others fail to match up his bottled-up intensity of loving and hating humans with such equal measure. The theatrical rehearsal of Moliere's Le Misantrope is quite a treat itself. But the comedy in this film comes in the failed attempt to save the artistic soul of a happy little porn star.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Serge L

A classic Molière play is rehearsed in a small island of France. Alceste, the blasé character of the play, is the part Serge wants. Rightly so, since he identifies with it personnally. In a typical french way, we are following the characters revealing their characters. They seem all a bit narcissistic, like a bit isolated from each other even though they interact rather intimately at times. Therefore proving Molière right. Intellectually satisfying, morally frustrating. Love does not blossom.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/24/15

Full Review

Audience Member

A classic Molière play is rehearsed in a small island of France. Alceste, the blasé character of the play, is the part Serge wants. Rightly so, since he identifies with it personnally. In a typical french way, we are following the characters revealing their characters. They seem all a bit narcissistic, like a bit isolated from each other even though they interact rather intimately at times. Therefore proving Molière right. Intellectually satisfying, morally frustrating. Love does not blossom.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A tv star comes to try to coax a reclusive but talented colleague to perform in Moliere's Misanthrope with him. They run the lines together as Serge (Fabrice Luchini) tries to decide if he wants to come out of retirement and Gauthier (Lambert Wilson) gets more and more impatient with him. There are comic elements added for popular appeal, but the center of the movie is the two actors bringing their very different styles to the play. Gauthier tries to say the lines as naturally as possible, and has a sort of Method Acting approach to the role. Serge clings to every syllable of the 12-syllable verses. The two men are brought out of their usual "roles" in life, but will they be able to work together?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Retired misanthropic actor is tempted by a successful colleague's offer to cast him in his new production of Le Misanthrope. But who will play which role? Urbane, slightly flimsy, middlebrow tale with some first rate acting to take your mind off the occasionally rather low slapstick and farce. Lovely locations on the Ile de Re.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

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Philippe Le Guay

Director

Fabrice Luchini

Serge Tanneur

Lambert Wilson

Gauthier Valence

Maya Sansa

Francesca

Laurie Bordesoules

Zoé

Camille Japy

Christine

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Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

This is a French comedy with claws.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 7, 2014

Full Review

Kate Muir

Times (UK)

Bicycling with Molire is a droll, intellectual delight, and probably one for Francophiles who have at least a vague knowledge of Molire's play The Misanthrope.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 7, 2014

Full Review

Ginette Vincendeau

Sight & Sound

Cycling with Molire gives us both a French-language fest and acting fireworks.

Jul 7, 2014

Full Review

Hannah Brown

Jerusalem Post

Sometimes a modestly conceived movie can be quite enjoyable, and that's the case with Alceste a Bicyclette.

Mar 21, 2016

Full Review

Simon Kinnear

Total Film

A cosy, middlebrow showcase for its stars to practise theatrical verse and fall off their bikes.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 11, 2014

Full Review

David Parkinson

Radio Times

Some of the slapstick feels forced, but Le Guay's intertextual wit is as sharp as the performances.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 4, 2014

Full Review

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Synopsis

Retired actor Serge (Fabrice Luchini) is approached by Gauthier (Lambert Wilson) to star in a play, but he plays hard to get. Serge's new lover, the play's producer, and his agent arrive on the same weekend to pressure him to make up his mind.

Director: Philippe Le Guay
Screenwriter: Philippe Le Guay
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Production Co: France 2 Cinéma, Les Films des Tournelles, Appaloosa Développement, Pathé
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 25, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 4, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $59.6K
Runtime: 1h 44m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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