If you're looking for a factual biographical depiction of the French actor and playwright Jean Baptiste Poquelin, aka Molière, this isn't your movie. C'est ci n'est pas une bio-pic as the title of the film tries to suggest. This lavish costume comedy-drama, written and directed by Laurent Tirard, is entirely, and brilliantly made up.

In his second movie, Laurent Tirard examines a period in Molière's life, marked by mysterious absences of the young actor and playwright, and dares to take liberty to fill in the gaps in the CV of one of the giants of classic French theater. With Co-writer Grégoire Vigneron, Tirard devises a witty storyline that places Molière's character in the very own comically tragic situations found in the beloved plays he will go on to write: Le Misanthrope, Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. In doing so, the movie does not purport to explain how and where Molière mined material for his future plays, but rather alludes to the experiences that may have influenced the transformation of the fledgling actor into France's foremost comic satirist.

The story takes place in 1658 but quickly flashes back to 1644 where a hapless Molière (Romain Duris) is bailed out of a debtor's jail by an affluent merchant, Monsieur Jourdain (Fabrice Luchini). In return, Molière is asked to refine Jourdain's non-existent acting skills as the latter prepares to perform his one-act play to win the heart of a young noblewoman.

To conceal Jourdain's plot from his wife Elmire (Laura Morante), Molière is required to disguise as none other than his own despised character, clergyman Monsieur Tartuffe. The ensuing story is told with the rhythm of a vintage Molière farce with an array of disguises, pretenses and subterfuges and guest apppearances of stock characters from a number of Molière's pieces.

In the end, just as Tirard planned, Molière emerges with the two lessons that would complete his transformation. First, he finds peace with doing comedy in theatre. A notion he objects to earlier in life, quoting that tragedy is a nobler form of theatre. And second, Molière, a master of illusion throughout the film realizes his own inhumanity and puts his morals in check.

Romain Duris, arguably France's most promising male leads at the moment delivers a Jack Sparrow-like performance and his on-screen chemistry with Laura Morante adds a touch of seriousness where the film needs it. Fabrice Luchini playing as the buffoon merchant husband is outstanding as he goes effortlessly from despicable to vulnerable and draws empathy playing both.