Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
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.