Sophie Marceau, in her two previous outings in period costume--Chouans! and La fille de d'Artagnan--showed us how well she could play historical subjects. Marquise died young, only 35, but had enough time to vault to the top of the theatrical profession. She was the lover of both Moliere and Racine, to whom she bore a son. The film moves along at a brisk pace with so much material to cover, and Bernard Giraudeau as Moliere, and Lambert Wilson as Racine give Marceau solid support. Patrick Timsit as Gros-Rene has the most inventive death scene I can remember, it's fabulous.
