it was a crazy time in france , what with the french revolution right around the corner . king louis xv would soon die , and his son would become king louis xvi . such is the setting for beaumarchais : the scoundrel about the controversial playwright , spy and playboy pierre-augustin caron de beaumarchais . beaumarchais was the author of the plays , " the barber of seville " and " the marriage of figaro . " today people think of them as quaint and harmless operas , but , back in 1773 when the movie takes place , they were so scandalous that beaumarchais was thrown into prison more than once . the movie beaumarchais : the scoundrel takes a light-hearted approach to its subject , resulting in an inviting motion picture . one of france's most expensive productions ever , the movie was a huge hit when it opened there last year . now in theatrical release in the united states , it eschews the seriousness of most art house films with a romping good story . the secret of the film's success , other than the lavishness of sylvie de segonzac's costumes , has to be the performance by fabrice luchini as beaumarchais . with his glistening eyes and his infectious smile , he mesmerizes the camera and the audience . his wry little lips seem always to hint at some unspoken deviousness he is planning . in a land where court intrigue determines one's destiny , constant scheming was a way of life for the aristocracy . as our story starts , we learn that beaumarchais has bought himself a judgeship . into his court comes a member of the nobility demanding an immediate sword fight . beaumarchais , who has been having an affair with the man's wife , makes him wait until the current case on the docket is decided . that over with , the fight is on . with luchini's charisma , it is hard to root for anyone other than him . audiences may remember him from the marvelous colonel chabert , in which he played the attorney . although he does not have half of the good looks of his assistant gudin , played by manuel blanc , he dazzles the women and the viewers with his grace and style . michael epp's warm and intimate cinematography provides a nice accompaniment to jean-marc kerdelhue's lush but realistic looking sets . jean-claude petit's music , especially the hauntingly lovely flute solos , make for an enchanting time at the movies . director jean-claude brisville , who wrote the script along with edouard molinaro , fleshed out a play by sacha guitry which , according to the press notes , was just a series of historic vignettes . the disorganization of the play still comes through at some points in the movie , but the actors smooth it over with their good-hearted style . typical of the scenes that come out of nowhere is the one in which a rotund benjamin franklin appears in a large pot of hot water , taking his bath . one episode has beaumarchais working with a renegade spy who may or may not be a man . another has beaumarchais using his personal fortune to aid the american revolution . all of this may sound like a dull historical drama , but it is anything but . the story plays more like theater of the absurd than a movie based on historical facts . the radiantly lovely sandrine kiberlain plays marie-therese , the real love of beaumarchais's life . but he is so likable that members of the audience may want to compete with her for him . still , with his beguiling smile , one can never quite be sure if you should trust him . the movie , on the other hand , can be trusted to deliver a high old time . beaumarchais : the scoundrel runs 1 : 41 . it is in french with english subtitles . the film is not rated but would be an r for some nudity and sex , and should be fine for most teenagers . 
