Susan Granger’s review of “A Good Year” (20th Century-Fox)
Think of it as the diluted male version of the romantic fable “Under the Tuscan Sun.”
The prologue is set in a small, idyllic vineyard in the south of France, where a sneaky British lad named Max Skinner (Freddie Highmore) learns life-lessons from his Uncle Henry (Albert Finney).
“Many vintages later,” Max (Russell Crowe) has grown up and become a callous, insensitive yet highly successful London bonds trader. Notified that his uncle has died and left him the chateau, Max is determined to repair the dilapidated “La Siroque” and sell it, much to the dismay of its winemaking caretakers (Didier Bourdon, Isabelle Candelier). While in Provence, Max is intrigued by feisty Fanny Chanel (Marion Cotillard), a local cafŽ owner who flashes her derriere, and surprised by the unexpected arrival of Christie (Abbie Cornish), a spunky Napa Valley ‘cousin’ who claims that rascally Uncle Henry was her father. And of course, French laws honor claims of illegitimate children.
Despite their successful “Gladiator” collaboration, neither director Ridley Scott nor Crowe seem comfortable with light, romantic comedy, so the result is, at times, quite heavy-handed and strained, laced together with clumsy pratfalls, goofy slapstick and repeatedly flipping off French cyclists with ‘Lance Armstrong’ taunts. Adapted by Marc Klein from Peter Mayle’s novel “A Year in Provence,” the clichŽ, contrived characters lack depth, the romance seems forced and even the most humorous moments are slightly vinegary.
On the other hand, Abbie Cornish is a charmer, and Philippe Le Sourd’s sun-drenched cinematography makes you want to head for the nearest travel agent. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “A Good Year” is a slick, sweet, superficial 6, but it’s only occasionally intoxicating.
