Wednesday November 18th 2015
France 2013, 105 minutes 
Director: Philipp Le Guay 
Starring: Fabrice Luchini, Lambert Wilson, Maya Sansa

TV soap star Gaultier Valence visits retired actor Serge Tanneur, living in seclusion on the Ile de Re, to try and persuade him out of retirement to take part in a live performance of Moliere’s classic ‘The Misanthrope’. Valence sees himself in the leading role of Alceste, with Tanneur in the supporting part of Philinte. (The French title of the film is ‘Alceste a Bicyclette’). But Tanneur sees himself in the titular role, with Valence in support. To resolve the issue they agree to rehearse for a week, taking it in turns to play the two roles. In a mixture of friendship and rivalry the two egocentrics battle it out, the rivalry heightened by the appearance of a mysterious Italian divorcee.