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A Gabriel Aghion film, which is hard to characterize in one word. On the one hand, one may doubt its artistic value, believing that the filming was only made for those, who would like to admire renowned French stars’ nudity. On the other hand, one may think that the film redress an injustice done to Denis Diderot (Vincent Perez), a well-known French enlightener, by his biographers. Nevertheless, the major part of the screen time is different couplings, talking about sex and attempts at losing one’s virginity. Eclipsed by that story line, there is another not so prominent a story of an Encyclopedia being printed secretly in Baronne d'Holbach’s (Josiane Balasko) castle. The Church having heard of it, they commission a d'Holbach’s relative, a cardinal, (Michel Serrault) to pin the heretic red-handed. At the same time, a spy (Fanny Ardant) arrives at the castle as well under the guise of a painter, allegedly to paint Diderot’s portrait. Everyone pulls the wool over everyone else’s eyes, until the cardinal runs against the printing works and calls for reinforcement, but all is in vain. Diderot is far away having a good time with the charming spy, while the cardinal is presented with a Bible, which, as the baroness assures him, is the secretly printed book meant to be a surprise for the cardinals name-day.
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