A Good Year (12A) <!-- none onestar twostar threestar fourstar fivestar -->

Reviewed,Anthony Quinn
Friday 27 October 2006 00:00 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A rich man's indulgence. Ridley Scott plainly couldn't resist filming his fellow ex-adman Peter Mayle's lightweight tale of wine and wonga, but he ought to have resisted casting Russell Crowe as his lead. He plays a ruthless London bond trader who flies south to investigate the Provençal chateau and vineyard he's just inherited from a late uncle (Albert Finney) whose cheery presence he recalls in flashbacks to idyllic summer holidays. However well he served Scott on Gladiator, Crowe doesn't have the chops to convince as a devil-may-care English wit, looks awkward with comedy and is on a hiding to nothing with the laugh-free script. There's a hint that the wine-and-romance plot will squeeze out juice left over from Sideways, but it's not even that clever. Whereas poor old Miles toiled through a midlife crisis to a kind of redemption, Crowe enters the story as an insufferably self-satisfied boor - and departs it unchanged. A Good Year is basically a long Renault ad with a gigantic bit of miscasting.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in