French and Hungarian gems on DVD – Molière and Kontroll

I had the pleasure of watching Molière (France 2007) and Kontroll (Hungary 2003) in recent weeks.

The latter is directed by a Los Angeles-raised but Hungarian film-educated man by the name of Nimród Antal, who has subsequently directed the American films Vacancy with Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale and the recent Armored with Matt Dillon. Laurence Fishburne and Jean Reno. Of course, now I’m curious about the latest two though I haven’t seen them, but Kontroll is so visually fascinating and engrossing, it’s worth a watch.

Molière is a delight, with actors Romain Duris whom I wasn’t crazy about before now (in L’Auberge Espagnole, or The Spanish Apartment ), Fabrice Luchini, the perfect pitiable cuckold, and the graceful Laura Morante. Let’s just say it’s at times hilarious and at times very heartfelt, a lovely film in the spirit of Shakespeare in Love but funnier.