Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
On Quartile, A Good Year scores 8/10 across five categories — strongest on Novelty (Well Above Average), weakest on Plot (Above Average).
Ranked among Quartile’s Top Novelty.
Failed London banker Max Skinner inherits his uncle's vineyard in Provence, where he spent many childhood holidays. Upon his arrival, he meets a woman from California who tells Max she is his long-lost cousin and that the property is hers.
A Good Year is a visually lush travelogue through Provence, with Ridley Scott's eye for landscape delivering genuinely beautiful cinematography of vineyards and sun-drenched countryside. Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard bring charm and professionalism to their roles, keeping the acting respectable. However, the plot is thoroughly formulaic romcom territory — the workaholic-redeemed-by-love-and-simpler-life arc offers no surprises, and the long-lost cousin subplot feels contrived and underdeveloped. The film lacks novelty, recycling familiar fish-out-of-water and romantic redemption beats. The ending resolves predictably and tidily without earning its warmth, leaving a pleasant but unmemorable impression.