français friday

Hubby and I had a mid-week escape to a sweetly charming film,
A Good Year, set in London (yep, in the gherkin!!) and the sun-dappled countryside of Provence. I was hoping Bulldog or Hogman might write a review… in the interim, here's one I found:

Forgive me for taking this path, but the wine/film comparisons are inevitable with this one. Like most of the films made today the fresh elements in this film come from the particular vision of the film maker, the chemistry of the cast and the way all of it can come together in a charming and palatable fashion. In other words, the blending of the key ingredients. It all comes down to being a matter of chemistry, craftsmanship and preference. Chemistry causes the grape to ferment and become wine. Craftsmanship and experience make that wine something worth drinking. Chemistry amongst the elements of a film – story, cast and setting makes these pieces form a cohesive whole. Craftsmanship and experience make it a palatable film. And the rest is simply a matter of taste. Though it lacks the crisp originality of a sauvignon blanc, the hipness of a pinot grigio or the bold edginess of a Cabernet, but the elements here come together to make a film that plays pleasantly over the tongue like a decent rosé – easy to sip and enjoy and given the chance could well leave you with the warm glow of a late summer afternoon.

I loved it. All of it. From sensuous French scenery to London buzz and bustle. Vine-growing and wine-tasting. The tender moments between a grandfather and a gorgeous lad.

One line in particular stuck with me: when Max, eyeing the replica Van Gogh on the wall, asks his workaholic boss, "Whenever do you see your original?"


Ahhhh... picking the daisies and smelling the roses and hearing the surf crashing on sprinkly sands like skies swirling across a Van Gogh canvas..
it's Friday: beach day!!!
Au revoir...

post script: guest blog insert

Dear Kate
I won’t be writing a film review on A Good Year as I feel marvelously incompetent these days but I will offer you a blog reflection. I went to this movie with little or no expectations and came out richly rewarded. Russell Crowe consistently inspires me with his varied roles and the dialogue and the rich scenery was like a drowning experience for me. Somehow France has that allure, that romance and that beckon that only a few places on the planet possess.

I found myself bathing in rich lines and the mood of France passing by me like some slow river. The comedy and the quirky characters were also a lot of fun. Obviously the other 5 people in the theatre didn’t share my sense of humour as I was the only one laughing!

It’s not often these days that I leave a movie with the desire to reflect on it for hours and days to follow. A Good Year did it for me. We returned home at midnight and I had to crack a bottle of Beaujolais and sit up in bed basking in the glory of being alive.

So…I loved it and I can’t wait to buy the DVD. Ridley Scott certainly created a major departure from Alien and Gladiator.

Love Hogman