Film: Bicycling with Molière is a French film about two actors with large egos — if that is not redundant — rivals who are envious of each other to a fault. Gauthier (Lambert Wilson) is a television star who plays a brain surgeon on a popular French series, while the other has quit the business and moved to a small, remote village. Unsatisfied with his success, the TV actor yearns for the challenge of stage work, and he convinces his rival Serge to come back to Paris and appear with him in Molière’s The Misanthrope. Wary, Serge only agrees to rehearse the play, during which they clash, as their personal lives keep creeping into their work. Bicycling with Molière is directed by Philippe Le Guay (Women on the 6th Floor), who brings along Fabrice Luchini from that film to play Serge. Such a gentle, character-driven comedy is rarely made by Hollywood, so see this one now before it is remade and dumbed down for American tastes. Now playing at the Living Room Theatres in Boca Raton.
Theater: Besides being sweltering and humid, the other sure sign of the season is the arrival of Summer Shorts, City Theatre’s celebration of short-form plays, now in its 19th year. With a tight-knit company that includes such local favorites as Irene Adjan, Elizabeth Dimon, Tom Wahl and Niki Fridh, the slate of 10 scripts includes comic works by Paul Rudnick as well as Dan Castellenata and Deb Lacusta (writers for TV’s The Simpsons; Castellenata is the voice of Homer Simpson) and world premieres by nationally know Leslie Ayvazian and Richard Dresser. Chances are the evening will be uneven, but there will probably be more than a few small gems too. At Miami’s Arscht Center’s Studio Theater through July 6. Call (305) 949-6722 for tickets.