Commissioned by the Comédie-Française, Amalric’s inventive adaptation of a Corneille play follows three strict rules: no words were added to the original script, the actors had all previously played their roles onstage at the Comedie Francaise, and filming was completed outside the theater within 12 days.
Within those parameters, Amalric nevertheless reimagined the classic play set in contemporary France, transforming it from a story about wizards and generals to one about private investigators and video game designers. This artful update of a labyrinthine classic marks a rare chance to see France’s best contemporary thespians on the big screen.
