A Good Year

Seeing A Good Year, with its sophisticated, smart romantic comedy, fine wine, beautiful women and great atmosphere, is almost like being on a European vacation yourself. Like slumming on a lazy day, the relaxed feelings the movie evokes may not last long, but while they do, who could ask for anything more? Stunningly photographed in the French wine country, this ultra-light re-teaming of Gladiator star Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott seems an odd choice for a follow-up to that sword and sandal epic. But if they have decided to slack off, at least they picked the right place. Max (Crowe) is a London based investment expert who travels to Provence to sell a small vineyard he inherited from his late Uncle (Albert Finney). The vineyard is a place he spent summers as a young child, but he has no use for now in his workaholic state of mind. Things get complicated when a California girl (hot Abbie Cornish) claiming to be the illegitimate daughter of the dead uncle shows up challenging the true ownership of the chateau. Sparks of another kind fly when Max hooks up with a local girl (Marion Cotillard) who knew him as a kid. Although the stop-and-smell-the-grapes storyline is predictable throughout, A Good Year is pleasant stuff, going down about as easy as a vintage Merlot.