Brought together by a curious twist of fate on a dusty California road, a wandering vintner and a struggling winemaker find both their lives, and their careers, forever transformed at a blind Parisian wine tasting that introduced the world to the extraordinary wines of Napa Valley. The year is 1976, and Napa Valley has yet to gain the reputation as one of world's best-known wine regions. Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) has sacrificed everything in life to realize his dream of creating the perfect
Chateau Montelena. Yet despite the fact that Jim's Napa Valley vineyard has great potential, his son, Bo (Chris Pine), doesn't seem to have much interest in the family business. Most days, Jim and Bo can be found trading blows in their backyard boxing ring -- their attempts to knock a bit of sense into one another usually amounting to naught. Meanwhile, in Paris, British expatriate Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) finds necessity dictating that he educate Parisians on the latest wines to come out of California. Steven owns the Académie du Vin, and is eager to travel to the United States in order to ensure that he has conducted his research properly. Little did Steven and Jim realize that they were both on course for a chance meeting that would revolutionize the wine industry while opening up a whole new world of possibilities for wine lovers everywhere. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Unfortunately, Miller can't decide whether he's doing a relationship movie or one about the intrigue of world-class winemaking. Mingling the two left me with a somewhat sour aftertaste.
The movie provides Pullman with a lead role, which is something you can raise a glass to. But as for the rest of it? Sorry, but I'll have a Diet Coke instead.
With much loving, longing gazing at the Napa Valley landscape, it's awfully good-looking, if you can discount the high-waisted bell-bottoms and the homely yellow AMC Gremlin that wheezes into scenes every once in a while.
It doesn't exactly come off as boxed wine to the top-shelf sensibilities of Sideways, but there's not enough story or heart for it to capture the same lightning in a bottle.
Bottle Shock is one of those cockle-warming, feel-good underdog films in the tradition of Strictly Ballroom. Only in this case Scott and Fran are, respectively, a Chardonnay with tangerine undertones, and a Cabernet Merlot blend.
Predictable in its moves, it's engaging enough, though it has nowhere near the characterisation, say, of Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church in Sideways.
Predictable, corny, schmaltzy, inane, unfunny, flat, sentimental and utterly fatuous. Most of the acting is bad, and none of the characters are interesting. Watching it is about as culturally rewarding as actually getting drunk, and less fun.
In the same way Good Night And Good Luck sends you hurtling for whisky and a Malboro, and Sideways prompts a pining for pinot noir, Bottle Shock will have you craving a chilled glass of Californian chardonnay.
It's a triumph of the underdog film, but what it does have is a simply delicious performance by Alan Rickman, who does resigned disdain like no one else on screen.
. Like the chardonnay at the heart of the story, Bottle Shock is light with good body and plenty of flavour. It's also uplifting and amusing. In short, it makes you feel good.
Alan Rickman plays the British wine expert who sponsors the test and is at his most comically feline. It's a great film about passion, eccentricity, families and... wine
Alan Rickman is one of my favorite actors, and I wanted to see Bottle Shock if only for his performance. Rickman's performance is great as usual, and Bottle Shock, despite some contrivance, is a very entertaining movie.
Bottleshock is the story of the 1976 Paris Wine tasting and how a group of Winters from the Napa Valley in California outclassed the French Wines at the tasting. One of these wines is the now famous Chateau Montelena, the wine that beat the French. This film follows the story of Chateau Montelena as a British wine
expert by the name of Steven Spurrier selects the best wines of the Napa Valley to compete against the best of the French. In his search, he is surprised at the quality of the wines and selects the Chateau Montelena along with a few other to compete. the Cheateau owner, Jim Barrett doesn't want to participate as he thinks it's a ploy to humiliate the Napa Valley vinters. However his son, Bo sends the bottles and ultimately is one of the wines selected to participate in the blind taste test. Bottle Shockj is a terrific film that blends comedy and drama, IU believe that this film has gotten a lot of unfair flack. Some people don't seem to realize how good this film really is. Sure, it's not flawless, but it's a well acted film about a very interesting, historical subject. Because after all the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting was a historical event, that changed the wine industry forever. The film has been said thats its less good than Sideways, well honestly, Sideways was overrated to the max and was a boring film that was a waste of a good cast. In my opinion, Bottle Shock is a superior film that shouldn't be dismissed so easily. A surprisingly good film.
June 2, 2011
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski
Super Reviewer
i kinda liked it! i guess its not realy my cup of tea because of the story being entirely based on wine and about making or finding the perfect wine!!
i loved alan rickman he was the best bit of the film for me to be honest he was funny and entertaining to watch!!
Apart from alan rckman being funny this movie shouldnt
be called a comedy because it just isnt that funny!!
A mediocre movie thats bound to entertain someone!!
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