Anthem to the simple joys of life, seasoned with subtle humor and magnificent views. A sparkly, sunny, light film like good French wine.
It's the weekend again, and we're having a family viewing of French cinema again. This time we chose a film never seen before. What attracted him is that the author of the book and the director of the film are British. And also one of my favorite Hollywood actors in the lead role (in French cinema, Hollywood actor) - Russell Crowe. And in a pair he was given a beautiful Marion Cotillard (the one who played the great Edith Piaf).
And how have I not seen this miracle of British cinema before? I haven’t seen a lot of French films made by non-French people about France before, and today I got one. Oddly enough, but to catch French charm, it is the British who manage better than anyone else. The Americans would not be so subtlely removed.
As I read about this film, this is the rare case where the film is much better than the book on which it was made. I have not read the book itself, but the “connoisseurs of the novel” say that from a rather mediocre novel, the British made such a rare masterpiece. It is also written that after watching this film, careerists of many countries begin to doubt their "achievements", and buy one-way plane tickets - to Marseille.
And I, by the way, understand them, even while watching, I wanted to send everything to hell, pack a suitcase and buy a one-way ticket, somewhere in the south of France or Italy, away from the capitals and big cities, with their eternal fuss driving you crazy, and from our backwaters too. I wanted to hurt my heart. It is a pity that such an opportunity does not exist ( cry of the soul! - if even half of the inhabitants of Russia could give me only one ruble each, then I would have enough not only for tickets to France, but also for a pretty good life in her province for several years, together with my family, and then you will see. But this is so – impudent dreams of (possibly) unrealizable.
Awesome charm of Provence, grape fields, good (and subtle French) humor, and Russell Crowe, all this creates a unique atmosphere of rural France, from the landscapes of which is simply breathtaking
It’s never too late to rethink your life and focus on the really important things (and it’s not money at all). The scene is French Provence in all its splendor (province of France from where the world famous mayonnaise Provence originates).
The conflicts of generations, cultures, ways of thinking and lifestyles are masterfully shown. The landscapes of Provence from the cult action director are more than unusual. "Good Year" is usually a good tone for those who prefer "cinema is not for everyone", knows a lot about wine and music, and, of course, loves Provence. My personal impression of watching - it was extremely tasty! A beautiful estate with vineyards in the most beautiful place in France. The slowness of a quiet and measured life. And in the background of all this - beautiful love Russell Crowe is great. A prodigal nephew who, in his merciless world of the London Stock Exchange, had forgotten all about family values and love. So you and I, as a viewer, have the opportunity to see if they understand what's really important. For anyone. Money is not the main thing, although many do not believe it.
A great movie with a great value system. It has a meaning, a message . But will everyone understand? The film is light and beautiful, filled with tranquility, brightness of landscapes, philosophy of work at your favorite place. Everything in it contributes to a good rest while watching. A little romance, family values and a positive ending will please the viewer. This is a great movie for an evening family viewing. I am very glad that we have finally seen this miracle, which has sunk in the heart, and will forever remain there (as well as my beloved Amelie). This is France guys, its unique charm and sophistication, its quiet measured leisurely life (the life of my dreams) against the background of magnificent and marvelous rural landscapes, in which you want to plunge with your head (like goose bumps and tears in your eyes).
After watching this film, you understand that in the bustle of urban life (and someone in the pursuit of money and fame), somehow you stop paying attention to the beauty and simplicity of the world around you, you want to slow down and enjoy life. I love French cinema (even if it is not shot by the French) for the beauty and impressive performance of the actors, for the sophistication and ease with which very important life situations are served to the viewer, without moralizing and notation, like exquisite French dishes, with the addition of mandatory fine French wine.
The whole film I was empathetic and happy, worried and smiling. A great choice to watch on an autumn, cloudy evening. A subtle, witty, kind story about wine, friendship, love. About how little joy brings big money and what great happiness is possible from inexpensive little joys. After watching I am in high spirits and believe that everything will be fine, and all dreams will come true. And the older I get, the more I believe that such a story could have happened in life. In the sense that the revaluation of values can occur even in mega-successful businessmen.
This film is a real art from which you want to be cleaner and better, and harmony settles in the soul. It is like a vacation, it blows the charm of Provence, romance and nostalgic note. He is tart and intoxicating, like the wines of France, lyrical, sincere and sunny.
Anyway, look. There's so much I can write that just bursts out from the inside. But I won't, or there won't be enough space here, and I'll be completely mired in lyrics and dreams of France. Just look.
In the modern world, it is so difficult to be yourself: money, power and passion interest many people and many go headlong into them, forgetting that happiness is not in wealth and a successful deal.
Max Skinner, the main character of the film, lost himself in them. The stock market thrives under his leadership making millions of dollars in profits, and cunning shenanigans help in this. Cold London froze Max's heart, shackled his feelings, made him callous. He lost the good that warm Provence nurtured in him.
This story is about how not to lose yourself in the pursuit of success and wealth. The film encourages you to think whether you live right, whether you emphasize the values, whether you follow the right path. We just have to listen to our hearts. The film is about the eternal – about love and happiness.
After watching the film, you feel lightness, readiness for change, warmth and light intoxication from a glass of delicious wine. The picture takes everyone back to that pleasant, distant, or recent time when happiness was in simple things.
Let me tell you right away that my review will be positive. I did not expect such a film adaptation from the creator of strangers (at the end I saw in the credits that director Ridley Scott). I'll look at his filmography in more detail.
As I understand it, the main idea is the struggle between the material world and the spiritual world in man (humanity), and in the film he was able to show this quite clearly. Max himself constantly says who he is and what he is, emphasizing for the viewer that he is a cynic and his whole life is a constant feeding of his ego.
After meeting a childhood friend, whom he remembered as soon as he saw her, and moreover remembered a phrase that she whispered in his ear, a transformation took place. But before this scene, we were shown that he still clarified who the girl was, turning on his logic and discarding feelings.
Plus, there are messages from his uncle who taught him wisdom through constant examples/dialogues and who feared that all this information would be misused by Max. It is from educated and intelligent people that the most cynical and tough people come out.
As I thought, the struggle for inheritance is a background process that simply cements the storyline.
I think that's a very deep message. Romance, scenes are beautiful, many people of the 21st century lack it. Very lively cinema, moreover, how many such stories have happened and are happening around the world and still it remains a very relevant topic. Everyone must have had a childhood love that you didn’t return to or shared. It’s all about who we are and what we really want. Everyone wants sensual, tender, eternal love (provided that there are no deviations in the psyche).
A film about choosing yourself. It is about true values to choose the real, authentic, living, which gives the juice of life, which fills with heat and light, which leads to holistic and harmonious changes, which carries meaning, traditions and fulfillment.
The film is about the important, eternal, present - as a glass of good good wine, the gulp of which fills with life and warmth, heals and leads to enlightenment, like the sun that does not judge, shines all and allows everything to be as a fat, fertile, healing Earth, as friendship and devotion, inspiring humor.
The film is filled with the light of Provence, the aroma of herbs, the juice of grapes, the heat of a summer day, the moisture of generous rain, after this film you expand and become slightly intoxicated with colors and atmosphere.
It is a state when you want to embrace the world and create what you have long wanted to touch, long wanted to do, what the soul lies in, but you have forgotten. And the film resurrects that long forgotten, you know after it – how it is to be yourself.
I'm not going to tell you the story. Look, it's a magical transformation, it's a game played by people and people who play games. Do all games create and do all people heal? It's a choice, too. And a choice movie. Get out of a game that no longer creates for you and choose yourself, return to yourself.
Watch, enjoy, revel in every element of this masterpiece.
The actors and the director are certainly talented, but this film did not get
I can’t look at a lot of positive reviews and high marks because the film is not catchy. For 117 minutes, I patiently gave the characters on screen a chance to captivate me with their story, but the only feeling I experienced in the end was an angry bewilderment.
The beginning of the film was interesting, until about the moment when the main character went to France. There he gets caught in a maelstrom of events and situations that should be funny but look ridiculous. Because there's no hero reaction to them. Somehow very imperceptible to the viewer is his transformation. Maybe Russell Crowe is not suitable for this role, or maybe the character is originally spelled out clumsy. Plus, the film itself is very long, many scenes could be reduced or removed without harm to the plot. But the rest are filled with emotions and feelings to the maximum. Otherwise, it's mush. Cold and lumpy. Brr...
But not only did the main character fail, many of the characters in this film are slurred. A daughter who "just wanted to know about her father" takes to read his archive and just falls asleep by the pool while the papers fly around. Immediately you feel her interest and respect for the personal belongings of the deceased.
So many small unimportant details and major blunders of the main characters drag this film to the bottom, and the sight of sunny vineyards and beautiful music can not save it. I believe in love and that people tend to make good choices, but I didn’t believe anyone here. It was necessary to make an unpretentious romantic story. This is 2 hours of confusion.
When I feel bad, I watch a good year. I saw it ten years ago quite by accident, then I searched for a long time, and when I found it, I revised and revised it many more times. He's got me hooked, that's what he says.
This story is an adult fairy tale about two people who turned out exactly as they should. The main characters are a courageous man and a beautiful woman who are moving to a consciously necessary point throughout the film. Understanding this fact makes you wait for a natural happy ending - otherwise what the ultimate justice can be, damn it! And then there is an interesting plot, juicy characters, perfectly played emotions, a drop of nostalgia for childhood, witty replicas, high-quality camera work, a successful soundtrack. And something unites them, so that you do not think about the above advantages, but just enjoy watching. This "something" is already from the field of higher mathematics, physics, chemistry - it does not matter.
It does not matter what Ridley Scott was inspired by: good wine or good grass (as a well-known connoisseur of both). It does not matter that to assess the steepness of a grown Max-by-million, the simplest stock exchange technique is demonstrated. It does not matter that the sale of the chateau is affected by an extremely dubious document. It doesn’t matter that the movie wasn’t made in France. It is important that everything worked out.
Ridley Scott is the director of exceptionally talented, who in Hollywood are called nothing but creators. Before his triumphant return to space fiction, all zero, Scott Sr. persistently experimented with genres, along the way inviting his favorite, the star ' Gladiator', to each new project. Russell Crowe. And so, of their joint works, only the melancholy and incredibly warm comedy ' A Good Year' (A Good Year, 2006) remained unvisited for a long time, and now one can only wonder how I could have missed such a pleasant film before.
Yeah, it's a really nice movie. After a successful performance with ' Gladiator' from Scott in the company of Crowe, you expect anything but this. The most anticipated option is a return to peplum, but Ridley pulled it off in Kingdom of Heaven 39, only with Orlando Bloom and Eva Green (by the way, one of the best films of the year, as he always does). Then he was noted for strong joint pictures in the criminal and spy genre ('Gangster', 'A set of lies'). But that was later. And before them was the second joint work of Crowe and Scott, which can be perfectly characterized by the phrase ' nice movie'.
Yes, two professionals at the peak of their popularity, one of whom became actually a lifetime classic, and which American studios were ready to throw budgets of greenery, as if they took a vacation and spent it together shooting an easy and pleasant movie for symbolic by Hollywood standards $ 35 million.
What do we see? An easy romantic story of an energetic and successful stock trader Max, to whom his uncle leaves a plot in Provence, where the hero goes to inherit, but is delayed. Here and begin funny ' dacha & #39; adventures of the hero against the background of cares for the arrangement of the house and country plot, during which the British snob begins to change, and perhaps unexpectedly and accidentally meets his love. The film is first and foremost ' penniless', but soulful y, beautiful and unhurried comedy, the soulfulness of which is warmed by cute flashbacks with the childhood of the hero depicted by Freddie Highmore (finally played in something more serious ' Arthur and miniputov').
A separate mention is the romantic line of the project. Marion Cotillard is undoubtedly one of the best stars of the Big Cinema, which attracts not only its aristocratic appearance and perfect, as if precise, figure. Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard, two undeniably charismatic Hollywood artists, look together well just perfect: intelligent Brutal Crowe and sophisticated European beauty Cotillard, from which you can not take your eyes off, depict in the frame exactly the kind of relationship that you expect from two self-sufficient people who need nothing from each other, but are driven by mutual interest. This is what makes them one of the most beautiful movie couples that have only ever seen on the screen.
The action jumps between the bustling London metropolis and the unhurried countryside of Provence. A special contrast is felt between rainy England and a sunny French village due to the excellently selected soundtrack, which sets the tone and mood of the narrative.
In general, 'Good year' is a pleasant and easy romantic movie in which Scott guessed with everything - the script, cinematography, focused on stunning landscapes and a delicious picture (the film you want to admire), a beautiful cast that does not let you get bored.
“I didn’t see my uncle when I became such an asshole.”
"Good year."
A positive, drama-free film with a gentle Provence sun.
A successful stockbroker (Russell Crowe) receives the news that his lonely uncle has died and comes to the estate in Provence, in order to sell him because he is the only heir.
But things didn't go as he planned. It has to be delayed.
On the way to Provence, he accidentally hits a pretty cyclist (Marion Cotillard) on the road.
At every step he comes across things, because of which in his head involuntarily there are memories of a beautiful childhood spent with his beloved uncle, in the estate among the vineyards. He'll stop at a photo with his uncle, and his cigar will remind him of him. The worker molests him not to sell him, who remembers him as a boy. And now they call each other "Damn frog and goat English."
Later, photographing the estate for sale, he falls into an empty pool. Getting out, he looks at the old estate, on which chickens and scorpions roam.
In the morning, a refined Londoner wakes up from the cry of a rooster.
And in the estate there is the “daughter” of the uncle.
And the girl he falls in love with. Otherwise, why is there a girl in the movie?
Now about the impression of the main character and the atmosphere of the film.
I liked how unusually revealed in this film is always such a serious man, more like a bear Russell Crowe, as a light and with lively facial expressions young lucky man.
Films don’t “make” artists like him, Russell does movies!
And also, I read one site that Russell's height is 1, 82 (I hope to close my eyes), but something I was distracted.
What I like about beauty in all its forms!! Buildings, views and angles of the city, chic and cozy views of the estate, its interior with an old beautiful environment and household items, music!
Humor is not subtle, but it is and it is good!
I liked the casting. Very convincing and in his place Albert Finney, you can not think of a better uncle!
One small minus - at the very beginning of the film, when Russell is shown at work, there is an unnatural pathos and playfulness, but it is "purely" American.
If you want to end your day on a pleasant note and fall asleep with a smile, this movie is for you!
Yes! And more... Forgot the Ridley Scott movie! Who needs to explain something to?
At the heart of this amazingly warm picture is the eternal human conflict: what to base your life – love or money? I must say that this problem does not pass by anyone – we all from time to time face a choice similar to this, and do not always find the right answer.
Like any other internal conflict, this dilemma is generated by society and the processes that take place in it.
Old conservative England, with its restrained way of life, the British, whose life has always been dictated by the observance of Christian commandments, unwavering adherence to rules and laws, the ideas of educational missionary work, honor and nobility, are undergoing serious changes associated with the introduction of political and economic reforms during the tenure of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The new policy entails a change in the minds of the British, the way of life changes, and the main value becomes money. For some Englishmen, the goal of financial success began to justify even the most inappropriate means.
It is in this environment that the main character of the film, Max Skinner, who leads an active business life, working on the London Stock Exchange, finds himself. Each of his operations on the stock exchange becomes a reason for the envy of colleagues. Max Skinner is cynical, unscrupulous, energetic and very lucky. In the pursuit of money, he is guided only by purpose. People mean nothing to him. The film very well shows the atmosphere in which the bidding takes place. These scenes perfectly reflect the spirit of the times and the monstrous deformations a person undergoes.
This picture is contrasted with provincial France, where Max is forced to visit for a short time in connection with the death of his uncle. Arriving for a couple of days in Provence to the estate he inherited for legal formalities, he plunges into the atmosphere of the French province, where calm and slowness, ironic but very sincere attitude to each other very much contrast with the insane speed and bustle of business London. Max does not immediately begin to feel the taste of this life - sun-drenched vineyards, the sounds and smells of summer, the charm of Provence penetrate into his consciousness gradually, as he immerses himself in the memories of his childhood.
There are many contrasts in the film: wisdom resists delusions, cynicism - sincerity, fuss - tranquility, picturesque natural landscapes - luxurious office buildings made of glass and concrete, the lifestyle of the citizen - the leisurely philosophy of the inhabitants of the French village. The red thread of the plot permeates the very rivalry between British and French culture. English natural restraint is countered by the ability of the French to enjoy existence, and it seems that the English are even slightly envious of the art of the French to feel life this way.
The old house, which preserves childhood memories, the touching care of the Dupleaus and, of course, love, have done their job - Max returns to his present; beauty, love and good old human values triumph.
It is surprising that almost everyone who has watched the film wants to go to France to at least briefly plunge into this atmosphere and, perhaps, find themselves, as the main character managed to do. A trip to England for some reason does not arise. The film is based on a book by British writer Peter Mayle. Paradox.
I love this movie and can’t help it. “A good year” is like a vacation, it blows the charm of Provence, romance and nostalgic note. He is tart and intoxicating, like the wines of France, and now that Albert Finney has gone, I would like to warmly remember him with such a lyrical, sincere and sunny tape as A Good Year! In addition, the plot of the film is so strikingly different from what is usually directed or produced by Ridley Scott, that just for that it would be worth watching.
Successful stock trader Max Skinner is forced to interrupt his active business life in London: he is summoned to France in connection with the inheritance of a recently deceased uncle. It would seem that a trip for a week and nothing special from it is not expected, but it radically changes his whole life!
Southeastern France! Warm, sunny edge! What to do when memories flooded and the vineyards of Provence are to blame, flooded with light, a transparent morning, the smell of summer and childhood! How to convey the subtle charm of the French province and open cafes? Where to find the peace that is lacking in London, behind the hustle and bustle of brokerage? It seemed that so many years had passed, but it is impossible to throw out of memory those summer days that Max spent with Uncle Henry at his estate La Siroc.
How nice it was to come to him in the summer on vacation and plunge into this special atmosphere, which even now - everywhere: in the old house, keeping family memories; in the touching care of the gardener Francis (Didier Bourdon) about the vineyard, which can give a good vine and a great harvest; the girl from the memories - Fanni Chenal (Marion Cotillard), who became a charming woman; an unexpected acquaintance with the Queen, who was made here, like a winemaker in Corbier, in Corbier, in California, >> And remembering Uncle Henry, with his warm smile, ironic attitude to life and sincere friendship, Max begins to realize how much he misses him!
A Good Year seems like a simple, everyday, romantic film, especially after Gladiator, where the same director's hand and the same actor in the lead role, but the film has its own bouquet, like a good wine. Ridley Scott had a brilliant casting, the acting above all praise. This applies to both the main roles and the episode, but some of the work I want to highlight: Freddie Highmore in the role of Max-teenage, familiar to us from another film - "August Rush"; Russell Crowe as a London tycoon - Max Skinner; Marion Cotillard - a girl from childhood dreams and Max's loverite and, of course, Albert, a treasurer of human philosophy, Finner,
A good year is not just a romantic story about a sudden rebirth. The film mixed everything: the beautiful landscapes of Provence with their vineyards and the production of elite wine; love stories, beautiful women and French charm; colorful humor, French cuisine and, especially, subtle, lyrical memories of childhood. It’s about values that can’t just be found, they’re ephemeral and soluble in the air because they’re created by the heart and soul. And most importantly, all the heroes here have a choice - where to go next!
Have a good view!
To anyone who is tired of winter, black, horror and thrillers, I recommend. The film is very warm and beautiful. By the way, I saw it for the first time.
So, plot. Every operation of Max Skinner on the stock exchange becomes the envy of colleagues and detractors. A cynical egotist, prone to self-irony, he is the best at what he does. Suddenly, Max learns that his uncle left him an inheritance, a house and a winery in Provence. Going from London to Provence, he plunges into a completely different world and changes his views. I will not write anymore, there will be many events with the characters, I do not want to destroy the intrigue.
I didn’t expect Ridley Scott to make such an easy and soulful movie. Russell Crowe, as it turned out, knows how to be not only brutal, but also comic, which makes his character even more charming. Together with Marion Cotillard, whose heroine is impulsive, they came out a well-coordinated duet. Secondary characters deserve no less attention. These are the Duflos, who work in the mansion, and Max's uncle, Henry. And finally, the film is beautiful visually, so it is worth watching.
8 out of 10
Fans of serious believable films will immediately direct to watch “Schindler’s List” or “Leviathan” (by the way, I liked both of these films). We have gathered here to spend a pleasant time in the company of wonderful actors, plunged into the sunny Provence summer among the most beautiful landscapes of the South of France.
This movie, which became one of my favorites, I first watched 10 years ago and fell in love with Provence for life! For many years dreamed about him and, when a few years later, finally visited there, everything turned out to be exactly as in the film: the sun, easily tolerated heat, the crackling of cicadas, endless lavender fields, picturesque hills and valleys, tiny villages with stone houses, delicious Provencal dishes in open-air cafes, the roof for which are apricot trees, cozy shuttos hiding in the greenery of southern trees, vineyards ... Of course, I fell in love even more, and when it came time to say goodbye to this fertile land, my heart was pinched for a long time. I feel the same way every time I finish watching Good Year: it’s unspeakably sad to see the final credits, I want to go back there, to them, to their sunshine happiness.
Probably, everyone will agree that the most important thing in the film is the atmosphere that envelops the viewer, immersing him in the place and time of action. It is the atmosphere that first of all remembers this picture: you disappeared into Provence without noticing it! Literally with the whole body for several days you feel a pleasant aftertaste from the film. (I did the same with The Secrets of Los Angeles.) The southern rural spirit of tranquility, slowness, measuredness of being is in terrible contrast with the insane speeds and bustle of business London.
Miraculously conveyed memories of the protagonist, when he, as a boy, spent the holidays at his uncle’s estate: they are filmed as if for the director these are personal memories dear to his heart.
Of course, the ending is predictable, but the way the script is written is admirable! It is permeated with humor and interesting details, and in combination with great musical accompaniment, wonderful acting works, workshop shooting, editing and outstanding directing, we get 2 hours of true pleasure: an easy as a young wine, a romance-filled fairy tale for adults, which you want to review endlessly, savoring every scene.
10 out of 10
"To you, Uncle Henry. You have devoted your whole life to guilt and bottled the truth.
Ridley Scott in 2006 made a film full of French charm and sun with a sweet taste of red wine made in the vineyards of Provence.
A Good Year is based on the novel by Peter Mayle. The director himself was the author of the main elements of the plot, on the basis of which Mail wrote the book. But the book and the movie are different. As a result, Scott chose to make the story as it seemed to him from the beginning.
The main roles in the film are played by Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard and Albert Finney. Cotillard, as a true Frenchwoman, is incredibly seductive, casually sweet, casually elegant and endlessly feminine. But about her character a little later. The story begins with Uncle Henry (Finney) and his nephew Max (Crow), who spends the summer at his uncle’s chateau.
Picturesque landscapes of vineyards, openwork forged tables, chirping on a French woman, the aroma of dishes cooked on the stove, beautiful music that creates a special atmosphere of charm - this is a "special world", in which the matured and hardened Max returns by fate.
“I like to make wine because this noble drink is incapable of lying. As soon as you bring wine to your mouth, it reveals the whole truth, frankly and without any embarrassment. Delightful! he recalls his uncle's words. That’s all Henry is a dreamer, a romantic, a conqueror of ladies’ hearts, an eternal young man who adored his “Max for a million”.
"Listen, Max," he told the boy, annoyed by his loss in the game, "a man must accept his defeats with the same grace with which he celebrates his victories." The time will come and you will understand that victory is not taught to man. Losses often become a source of wise thoughts, including one that is much more pleasant to win. Life is such that defeats are inevitable, but we must try not to make them the rule.
Despite the ease of character, love of women and guilt, Henry had great wisdom, which playfully shared with Max.
The film is filled with subtle, intellectual humor, light sadness, references to old French paintings that are shown in the open-air city park, lyrical music: Harry Nilsson, Jean Sablon, Tinno Rossi, Edmundo Ros.
And, of course, wine, which in the film is one of the main characters. It connects generations, gives hope, inspires, delights. The legendary, very expensive "Le Coin Purdue" ("Le Quan Perdue" - "Lost Corner"), which is hunted by collectors around the world, and no one knows exactly who makes it, the brainchild of a lifetime of Henry and his faithful assistant, winemaker and estate manager François Duflot, who sings songs to his vines.
Simple joys: delicious food, beautiful women, good wine, cigars and loved ones nearby - this is the philosophy of Henry's life.
The special charm of the film is given by the charming Frenchwoman Fanny Chenal (Marion Cotillard), who conquered the cynic and careerist Max with her beauty and cool disposition.
"Leave pretty women to men without imagination," Duflo tells him, but Max's heart already belongs to the lovely Fanny.
The aftertaste of a film is like a bottle of good wine: pleasantly intoxicating and causing a smile.
This story captivated me because it is not money, career and ambition that win. It triumphs beauty, passion for the beloved business and heart. Maybe this is not often the case in life, but this is a movie, and as a viewer I am pleased with the lightness, poetry, spicy and sweet “taste” of wine and romance.
So consider just under one percent of people who left a review of this masterpiece. I believe that it perfectly combines an interesting, not too typical plot, wonderful panoramas, warm atmosphere, exquisite dishes and wines of Provence and perfectly selected actors.
Russell Crowe, and already, immensely respected by me for ' Gladiator' and ' Mind Games', appeared now in an unexpected role of an ironic, and sometimes sarcastic, trader ' with the largest eggs', smoothly transitioning in the course of the film into a romantic wine farmer, owner of vineyards, which he inherited after the death of his beloved uncle.
Marion Cotillard is not my favorite actress and didn’t really interest me... until I saw this movie. Here she fit very organically into the role of a beauty, whose temperament excites the whole town, and then into the role of the beloved protagonist and owner of a small restaurant.
References to earlier events and childhood of the main characters harmoniously filled the bowl of the plot. Subtle notes of good humor perfectly revealed the bouquet of the film. A romantic story with a happy ending left a pleasant aftertaste from watching.
This beautiful, light, unobtrusive plot, some time after watching, makes you suddenly think about what every day worries, perhaps, every person. Do you have to continue on the path you are on today? Should you remain a trader for the rest of your life on a major trading exchange, if you have already become one? Do you become an expert in the field in which you received your education?
Based on the ending of the film, the correct answer is: 'No!'. But in life, everyone will find the right answer for themselves. Maybe he won't. And then revisit 'Good Year' Ridley Scott.
Ridley Scott is famous not only for his cult innovative films in the field of science fiction or historical blockbusters, but also for his ability to work successfully in a variety of genres. But if action films and thrillers from the master are familiar, then no one expected a romantic melodrama and even with elements of light comedy from him. However, this did not prevent him from showing himself perfectly in a new genre direction. And although film critics scolded the film, ordinary viewers appreciated it positively, this shows a high audience rating.
The picture is based on the novel of the same name by the British writer Peter Mail and in the genre appears as a standard romantic melodrama with comedic notes. The plot is as simple as two pennies and offers nothing innovative in the scenario plan. Using simple plot moves and artistic techniques, the director correctly places accents, as a result, instead of empty and secondary in many respects, we get a warm, soulful and at the same time touching film. In the center of the story is a successful stock manager Max, who inherits a wine estate in French Provence. And if at first he was going to just sell it, then subsequent events forced him to take a new look at his life principles and foundations.
In the picture, several storylines are closely intertwined with each other. We are witnessing the transformation of a person who, under the influence of memories from childhood and the environment, rethinks his life and realizes that he lived wrong, although he was very successful. He is a convinced bachelor, but the acquaintance with a simple provincial girl opens up new horizons in his personal life. All this is served at ease, and therefore it is easy and interesting to follow his adventures.
Of course, the beautifully recreated atmosphere of the French province is one of the main advantages of the tape. The topic of winemaking is very interesting, though without delving into the production process itself. Well, the musical accompaniment perfectly conveys a great mood. The song is especially harmonious with Moi... Lolita" French singer Alizee.
Russell Crowe once again performed at the highest level, although the tape did not imply serious acting. Unique charisma helps him look great in any way. Marion Cotillard gets less screen time, but she is still beautiful and charming, and her performance is flawless. The background looks good in the person of Abby Cornish, Tom Hollander and Archie Punjabi.
A good year is a warm, heartfelt, touching romantic melodrama with comedic notes. There is a place for a love story, and an excellent sense of humor, and even drama. This is a simple story about a man who found himself, as well as true life values in the distance from luxury office buildings and stock exchanges. And it's very interesting to watch. This is a good movie that is perfect for evening viewing.
Among the many paintings of Ridley Scott, there are not many works that remain on the ear long after their release on the big screens. In addition to this collection of "passing" films will join "Good Year". The film is extraordinary, made for itself. The fact that I allowed myself to assign the stigma of a “passage” film to this tape does not make it worse in comparison with the more high-profile projects of the English director. If you look at the films Ridley Scott made during his career at the time of 2006, you will not immediately identify his favorite genre, which he would work with more often than others. Scott has a wealth of knowledge within his profession, as he made more than 2,000 commercials long before his 1977 debut, The Duelists. Working on completely different projects gives him the opportunity to look at scenarios that are waiting for their adaptation in different ways. This time, the author of the primary sources for the main idea of the film was Ridley Scott himself. It was on the basis of his plot ideas that the book of the same name was written, on which a full-fledged film was already shot, however, with major changes made again by the director of the film.
This is the idea that the film was made more for itself. Continuing to try something new, Ridley gives us his film is quite soulful, family, using genres with which he rarely works, namely melodrama and comedy. The film raises rather banal and everyday problems, dilemmas that are solved with a predictable ending to the end. In short, a very romantic film for a director like Ridley Scott.
The fate of the main character is clear as in the palm of your hand. But the insight and empathy for his personality is not particularly manifested, since we have devoted little time to his past and how he was. We are given the final version of the hero Russell Crowe, what he has become and only with the help of flashbacks let us understand that life has radically changed his personal principles and priorities. With all this, you can perfectly imagine yourself in the place of the main character and dream that it would be if you were now in the place where you were far away as a child, because there is nothing better than going back to where nothing has changed to understand how you have changed yourself.
7 out of 10
In general, the film left a good impression, but did not impress. Primitive light melodrama with elements of comedy and a lot of warm life philosophy.
The love story didn't convince me. It is fast-paced, on the principle: “Come on?” "Why not?"
Here is the shark of business performed by Russell Crowe well and harmoniously turned out. But he's not funny. And I even believe that he himself is funny, but there is something I do not want to laugh at him - it looks pathetic. He would rather have a sword or a bow and cut down enemies without breathing.
With this grape in the film, too, you do not understand anything, is it bad or good? And if it is so good, why is it so bad wine?
Probably a good film, as well as good wine, excess fertilizer only harms.
6 out of 10
I watched this film a long time ago, in 2008, 2009, after which I watched it many times (sometimes not on purpose, since every summer, once a year, it goes on Channel 1, closer to midnight). He conquered me, primarily by his entourage. I fell in love with Provence, France, even then, never been there.
The performance of the actors, in my opinion, is great. You watch the film and completely immerse yourself in the life story (which, alas, is so far away, for the average Russian person).
Uncle Henry takes his charisma. Such an old but energetic philosopher who instructed his nephew.
Mac for a million is a successful man, in his prime. Partly a contradictory personality, but from the very beginning you feel sympathy for him.
“His Delight” is a girl with a character who knows her value... who captivates with her reaction, to the sometimes ridiculous appeals of the main character.
And other characters have charisma and follow them with a spellbound look.
At least that's what I've done.
The film can be disassembled by quotations. Everyone will find something to like.
Personally, after watching, I bought myself a jacket in a stripe=) ... and later visited France, I did not reach Provence, but everything is still ahead.
10 out of 10
After Dickens’ Christmas Song, literature and film have witnessed a multitude of ambitious and crude careerists who are alien to the simple joys of life. Russell Crowe doesn’t meet three spirits to see his life from the outside. After returning to the places of his happy childhood, the shark of the financial world Max experiences a gnawing sense of nostalgia, responsibility and curiosity. So desired by many viewers, re-education and change of life landmarks begins to pretend to life under the sun in Provence, grape bushes and in the company of a local Frenchwoman.
After the dramatic and large-scale Gladiator, which laid the foundation for a fruitful collaboration between director Scott and actor Crowe, it is a bit crazy tragicomedy to see. The main character does not want to linger in the old winemaking chateau more than necessary, along the way becoming a victim of amusing circumstances. The plot offers a range of positive scenes, although globally remains a moderately boring story, two hours long, without any interesting aftertaste. Picturesque landscapes of France, the theme of wine tastings, the sunny atmosphere - these are the pluses of the picture. Whether this is enough to appreciate the “Good Year” is up to every viewer to decide.
6.5 out of 10
When Sir Ridley Scott is at the helm of the film, and starring Russell Crowe, this film is a must-see for me.
Ridley Scott decided to try himself in the melodramatic genre with elements of light comedy, it turned out, but not “excellent”.
I liked the melodrama as a whole, the bright, rich, relaxing nature of rural France to the wonderful song Alizee "Moi... Lolita" ("I... Lolita"), plus handsome both externally and by playing Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard. The song Alizee gave a kind of gloss to the picture.
I liked how Max greeted his colleagues at work at the beginning of the film: “Hello to the lab rats!” In this phrase, his whole image of the owner of money and life, a man who has taken place.
Content quote phrases from the film:
“A man is not taught victory.” Loss is often the source of wise thoughts. One that is much more enjoyable to win. Life is such that defeats are inevitable, but we must try not to make them the rule.”
“We have concluded a gentleman's agreement! It only works on one condition: if the gentlemen have concluded it.
“What is the most important thing about a good joke? - The right moment..."
“In France, wine is always made by the person who owns the land. Even if he is only watching the process through binoculars from the depths of his office.
At the same time, the picture periodically feels a certain false in the game of secondary actors (wives of the farmer, sisters of the main character Max and other persons), some scenes are either unnecessary, or leisurely, or insignificant, or overplayed - I do not understand.
8 out of 10
- A strange film for the track record of the famous Ridley Scott, I thought, reading the annotation before watching.
For many years, this British director is a supporter of historical, fantastic and certainly action-packed themes in his paintings, a conquistador of large screens, bringing action and mystery to the world, penetrating into the heart of each of the multimillion-dollar admirers of his large-scale blockbusters.
This alone was more than enough to generate interest in such a standout from the general & #39; Ridliscott' canvas quiet film. (Although I confess that for me, as a fan of Russell Crowe, his appearance in the title role also played its own, and quite a significant role.)
As it turned out, the film turned out to be bright, filled with meaning, perfectly conveying the simple and eternal universal values of life - kindness, mutual support, love for yourself and - as a result - to the people around you.
Only two places - the business capital of Albion and the estate in sunny Provence, where the film takes place, are deliberately shot in opposite colors.
The cold blue shades of the City of London, where successful (and not so) businessmen live in the pursuit of profit, contrast markedly with the bright warm rays of Provence, which seem to fill not only trees and buildings, but also people living there with their measured life. People who try to be in harmony with the surrounding nature and neighbors. Who are sincerely ready to help and do not seek benefits for themselves, except for a good mood from helping others.
The main action takes place against the backdrop of glowing gold plains, green hills and centuries-old vineyards of southeastern France, which gives the film ease of perception, and the audience a great temptation to be in the place of the heroes.
A man from London and a woman from Provence. He came briefly to sell his uncle’s estate, which he inherited, and she owns a small restaurant in the town next door. Once in a distant childhood, they knew each other, but after many years everything changed. A Song of Ice and Fire in a graceful novel woven from their thoughts, life preferences and feelings is a song that leads to the eternal questions that live in each of us: Who am I? Where am I going? Where is my home? Questions that sooner or later must be answered. Even at the cost of a complete change in your usual way of life.
The successful play of the star duo Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard more than adequately embodied the director's idea. I don’t think a movie like this could have a different ending.
Perhaps because Ridley Scott, looking into the characters of his previous paintings, realized that they are determined to search again and again, but ... not determined to find. And in this movie, he wanted to fix it.
- This place doesn't fit into my life! - No, your life doesn't fit into this place.
I recently watched Ridley Scott’s film A Good Year. Interested in the cinematic path of Russell Crowe, came across this picture. It was difficult to pass by – after all, the Oscar-winning director in tandem with the Oscar-winning actor, and I consider Gladiator one of my favorite films, so I did not hesitate for long.
The film is built on two story lines. The main thing is the life of a successful and talented financier Max Skinner, who, it would seem, the sense of beauty, the beauty of earthly life and other “nonsense” is absolutely unknown and uninteresting. He only lives by numbers. It is difficult to imagine a more grounded and prosaic person. He calls his colleagues "laboratory rats", although not quite seriously and colleagues like it, but still. But like everyone else, he has a past in which he was different. He used to spend holidays with his uncle in France. Uncle died, and the question of inheritance arose, since Max is his only living relative.
It is very interesting and pleasant to see how the financier, miser and businessman Skinner, having visited an estate in France, where he has not been for many years, again becomes a Man. He again comprehends the simple joys of life, falls in love again, and his world, in which he lived all this time, turns out to be insignificant and petty. The beauty of this picture is that life gave Max a chance to see the true values, and not work for the rest of his days for the sake of a million dollar fortune and then die, being loved by no one and no one needed. Unfortunately, not everyone is given that chance in life. So let's catch him now. And let such pictures lead us to the idea of whether we live right, and whether what seems to us vitally important is really so important.
To sum up, Russell Crowe did not fail again. His play is impeccable, the image of a hero who has undergone a kind of redemption is fully revealed. Many thanks to Ridley Scott for such films.
10 out of 10
I was intrigued by this film for several reasons. He has a wonderful, very talented director Ridley Scott, who again gives the main role to one of the best actors of our time. The trailer for this movie was tempting. I was excited to watch this movie, but I had a double opinion about it.
Here is the story of a London manager working on the stock exchange. He is lucky, a very wealthy person, but as a person is not particularly impressive. The hero of a bore and to the extreme banal. One day, life brings him a surprise that will change his values and outlook. He inherited a large winery. He's flying to France to Provence. As he walks through his legacy, he is haunted by memories. It turns out that people still claim this place, and we see a touching story of a hero who will forever change.
The film is sunny and soulful. It is for those who love and appreciate this genre and also for fans of actors. Ridley Scott always shoots on a large scale, does everything at the highest level, so the requirements of the audience are always high for his work, because he is a genius in his field. But in this picture, he seemed to turn 360 degrees and shoot “another movie”, watching which, you would never think that the director Ridley Scott. What's the matter?
Film critics took the picture very, very coldly, and for many viewers it remained invisible. She is so fiercely defended by true fans of the director and the main actor. If you dive deeper into this film and its story, it’s not particularly inspiring. The picture turned out to be dry and sometimes drawn out. Something was missing from watching. Some action, some life, some truth. The film is not complete.
Without a doubt, it was nice to see Russell Crowe in the lead role. Together with his hero, we go through this story, in which his character will discover a new himself and a lot of new things for himself, rethink something, analyze something, but most importantly he will meet a woman. An interesting duet Crow was composed by a lovely and wonderful French actress Marion Cotillard. Both actors are respected and loved, both have the most significant awards in cinema, which is the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Actress. They both played clean and looked harmonious, but the film from mediocrity and defects do not save.
"A Good Year" is a melodrama with a taste of tragicomedy in 2006 by Ridley Scott. The movie did not catch, his story was revealed dryly and not to the end. The film could have been much deeper and more interesting, but what we see is not encouraging. I'm neutral about this picture.
Our life, like good wine, can be filled with the highest poetry.
A film by Ridley Scott based on the book by Peter Mail, “A Good Year”.
A slow lyrical film about winemaking and human happiness, about the important things we lose in the pursuit of life’s goods, about what you can not buy for any money. But, as is often the case, the film has significant differences with the book.
Peter Mayle is a writer, in whose books French Provence was repeatedly glorified. He lives in the French province, left a bustling metropolis, and meticulously describes everything he sees. Let us add that his books invariably become bestsellers. In addition, Peter Mail and Ridley Scott are friends and in some ways even neighbors. And it was Ridley Scott who gave Peter Mayle the idea for a good year.
The hero of the film Max Skiner, a famous trader, he lives in London, he is pragmatic and completely devoid of sentimentality, and this does not prevent him from living, on the contrary. Not disturbing, but he subconsciously lacks conversations with Uncle Henry, who lives in Provence.
“A man should accept his defeats with the same grace with which he celebrates his victories,” Max once said when he was a young uncle. And Max remembered his lessons well. I remember that sometimes his wise apt remark, his good advice is lacking. And he would go to his uncle's house to visit, and all the business, business,
But one day he receives a message, his uncle died and he became the heir to his estate. And Max goes to the south of France, to Provence, to sell the estate, and everything would be fine, but on the spot it turns out that he is not the only heir.
In the old uncle's estate, he has time to think, to understand the movement of his life. He has a revaluation of values and there he meets a girl with whom he knew as a child. But love will not pass him this time.
A warm, sunny Provence, an old estate, tennis, childhood memories, a simple rural life, a beautiful waitress, will do the impossible. Max will feel happy, perhaps for the first time, that his life has become full and interesting. He also realized that he was living the life he liked.
And he decides to stay, just like the author of the book, Peter Mail. Staying to be yourself.
You can only dream about it. To find yourself in the most beautiful place, the place where you have already been, but by the will of fate had to leave. Return to be spiritually reborn, having survived the catharsis to become a different person, to feel the taste of life and find its meaning.
A few words about wine. Uncle Henry was not only a philosopher, but also an avid winegrower. And his wine from collectors - gourmets was not in last place, and cost a lot. In France, this wine is called garage wine. If you are not familiar with this question, then this film will open you a lot of new and interesting things.
With all the simplicity of the plot, straightforwardness and predictability of events, Ridley Scott’s Good Year, like the author’s idealistic idea of human happiness, takes the viewer into the world of enchanting calm and peace, into the world of southeastern France. The charm and unique charm of Provence, the aromas of singing grapes and spicy herbs, gradually envelop the audience and, like strong wine, give pleasant relaxation and pleasure.
Did Max have chances, after a happy chance, so “not in time” broke the springboard and not a long imprisonment at the bottom of the pool, to return to his usual life? Did he have a chance to spend it in the endless pursuit of the benefits of the modern world in captivity of cynicism and greed? Or everything was already decided and the death of his uncle was the last lesson to his nephew, the last gift.
Max’s return home, to the only place where he was really happy, becomes a trait beyond which there is no room for grayness and loneliness, emptiness and monotony of life in the metropolis.
The image of the main character Max, is the embodiment of modern man, most of us. Work and home, daily problems and troubles. Weeks, months, years that cannot be distinguished from each other. This is a man who, in the daily race with his own kind, has forgotten what it means to live, has forgotten what life is. He just forgot how beautiful it can be.
And this is the opportunity to stop, to remember who you are, what you once wanted, what you dreamed of. Feel the little joys of life, the existence of which was forgotten by the narcissistic and selfish Max. Along with memories from childhood, they are like a magical elixir, drunk in small sips, gradually return to the main character himself.
Russell Crowe is always convincing. Financial tycoon, careless womanizer, touching and in love Max, everything he can do, everything suits him. Marion Cotillard is charming and sexy, independent and vulnerable, the ideal keeper of the hearth.
In general, everything is going in the best way. Returning home, Max finds himself, regains his “human appearance”, finds friends and family, meets the love everyone wants. It is simply human happiness.
He who does not take risks does not drink Le Quan Perdue.
Max Skinner was once a charming spectacle who spent all his free time among the vineyards of his Uncle Henry. Now Skinner is a greedy and successful stockbroker. One day he receives the sad news of his uncle’s death. Max immediately goes to France to evaluate the inheritance and immediately sell it. He will return to childhood memories and plunge into the romantic and sunny Provence.
The director of the film “A Good Year” Ridley Scott, as well as co-author of this work Peter Mail, has been owning houses in Provence for many years and dedicating their free time to their own vineyards. The close proximity and acquaintance of two interesting people eventually embodied on the screens in an atypical movie for the master of high-profile blockbusters Ridley Scott. Few people believed that the director of such films as “Alien” or “Gladiator” will be able to surprise the sophisticated viewer with such a simple and chamber film. And fees in American theaters confirmed this – the film failed, but still found its audience. (And I don’t know if there were any other director or actors in the film.)
The plot of this picture not only does not shine with at least some novelty, it is simplified to complete predictability. And yet the film is presented in such a way that you feel sympathy for both the main characters and the atmosphere surrounding you, which has some indescribable charm. Even the fact that after watching twenty minutes it becomes clear how it will end, the film does not detract from its soulfulness and simplicity. The movie, though banal, but still sincerely kind with a lot of touching moments. This sentimental and lyrical melodrama with the delightful scenery of Provence, the beautiful places of Southern France and the vineyards of the beckoning province.
A good year is about simple human values. And that in life sometimes you need to stop for a moment, look around and understand what is really important in your life and what brings joy. And that there is somewhere on Earth where you can find harmony and peace of mind. After all, the leitmotif of the film is the pursuit of material goods. And only sad news can make a squirrel finally stop in its wheel and break out into nature to experience the beauty of its creations.
The love line in the film is made as if in good old movies about love performed by a beautiful duet. The male role went to the charming Russell Crowe - an actor with a fairly wide spectrum and this film is confirmation of that. He organically fit into both the role of a cynical trader and the role of a romantic boyfriend. The main female role was chosen not by chance, it went to the temperamental and wayward French actress Marion Cotillard. But also do not forget about another duet - a couple of memories of Max - Albert Finney and Freddie Highmore. This combination of youth and old age will leave few indifferent.
A good year is a movie for a good mood, after watching which only pleasant memories remain.
6 years after the release of the film “Gladiator”, director Ridley Scott decided to put aside historical adventures and shoot a solid melodrama. Since Russell Crowe at one time did not let him under the monastery, all with the same notorious “Gladiator”, the main role in his new film he decided to give this actor. And why not? - The movie did. It is not considered a masterpiece, but it looks quite tolerable.
I don't know why, but the movie doesn't catch on. Yes, there is an idea that a man lives in a major American city and lives under the law of that city. Somewhere he's even a spoiler of fate. There is no special suffering on his brow due to the light feeling and household problems. But he receives a letter that his uncle Henry has died and is the heir to a small estate in France. There's a house, there's vineyards, and he grew up there. But the commercial vein takes its own and our hero decides to sell this estate. But first it must be evaluated, audited, etc. And here he is visiting this house.
You already know what's coming. That is, the writer did not think about a certain highlight. It's quite prosaic. But it doesn't cause rejection. And thank God. Russell Crowe coped with the role. Marion Cotillard also blurred the impression of what she saw. In the picture there are a couple of funny episodes, in particular, the moment of falling into a pool without water, which is called the face in the mud. Maybe this movie needs to be infused, maybe. But unfortunately, that didn't happen to me. Good movie, but no more.
A Good Year is not just a good movie (but a good one). It has a kind of zest. And it lies in tartness, tastiness. Let me explain.
You can watch this movie all alone. Moreover, it is not only possible, but necessary. Night, night, morning, it doesn't matter. The main thing is to be calm, so that you enjoy every detail. After all, when you review “Good Year” is not the first time, you understand its elegance. I want to sit with a notebook and write down quotes. It's so fashionable now. But if such a crazy idea catches up with you, as it turned out later, nothing will come out anyway, because this film is so stuffed with beautiful phrases that it is simply impossible to have time to record everything. And so there is only one thing left - to get high and savor each replica. And if someone decides to look for aphorisms from the “good year” later on the Internet, I will immediately warn you that the meaning of all those words is most palpable only from the lips of actors. That's first.
And secondly, if you decide to watch this movie, you will get a share of exciting admiration. This movie is beautiful, among other things. But both the first and the second, and everything that will be written next, are conveyed so subtly that hardly everyone can appreciate it. You don’t have to be a film critic or a connoisseur to know if a picture is beautiful enough. It's already, you know, a matter of taste. But no intelligent man can deny the genius of Claude Monet, even if he prefers realism rather than impressionism. Well, that's an example.
Thirdly, I will note the equally beautiful in my opinion tandem - the director and actor of the leading role - Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe. I can’t say exactly what the gut is, but there is a great playfulness and mutual understanding between these two filmmakers. And as you know, on the set they are not together for the first time.
An exquisite decoration of the film, and there are not many of them (ornaments) here, is actress Marion Cotillard - a real Frenchwoman. She fits into this film like an accent in a speech - a kind of playful extraordinary, without which the film would lose a lot.
I will not write anything about the plot itself, except that it is magical and will be interesting even to a gourmet of quality cinema, as well as the whole film.