Napa Valley - La grande annata

It's 1976 Calistoga, California. Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) is desperate to scrap up the money to perfect his chardonnay. His son Bo (Chris Pine) is a lot less patient. Sam Fulton (Rachael Taylor) surprises everybody as the new intern. Gustavo Brambila (Freddy Rodríguez) is the foreman trying to make his own wine, and Bo's best friend. In Paris, sommelier Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) has a failing wine shop. He is challenged by his next door neighbor American Maurice Cantavale (Dennis Farina) to go taste some Californian wine. He goes to find some Californian wines to challenge the french ones in a blind taste test. He has a roadside breakdown and Jim Barrett coincidentally rescues him. He is amazed at Jim's wine and the rest of the area wines.

This is a nice charming true story. Alan Rickman has a friendly snotty attitude. He's snobby without being arrogant. I think that's the key. He's actually likable. As for the romantic triangle, I like the hot girl not picking the handsome leading man but then she changes her mind. It's balanced out by an angry Bill Pullman. He provides the little bit of drama in the movie.

While some people might immediately try to compare this film to Sideways, that would be a big mistake. Both films might share wine as their subject matter but diverge dramatically from there.

Bottle Shock tells an unknown story of Californian wine beating French wine in a surprise blind taste test (no one was more surprised than the French).

Having the US as the Underdog, seeing the passion of the wine makers and seeing the French being served makes this an absolutely wonderful 2 hours.

Bill Pullman was superb, Alan Rickman portrayed the quintessential snobbish Britt, Rachael Taylor was stunning and Dennis Farina was "Bacon Fat with a hint of Ripe Mellon!"

The ensemble dramedy is always a potentially great film, and what it ultimately comes down to is the writing, and whether or not the film is heartfelt enough for its audience to be moved. While Bottle Shock won't be winning any Oscars, it certainly accomplishes the aforementioned goals. In short, the film is very honest, heartfelt, informative, and enjoyable. It will draw its comparisons to 'Sideways' because of the subject matter and some of the characters (Bill Pullman in BS and Paul Giamatti in SW have similar characters), but what sets Bottle Shock apart is that it looks at the wine itself as a character. You care just as much about the wine as you do about the characters.

Bottle Shock may be categorized as a comedy in some listings, but I felt that this isn't right. It's more of a drama than comedy, but it does have its light hearted and funny moments, most of which center around Rickman's British man getting involved in 1970's California culture. The film does a great job of setting up an atmosphere in which we can get lost in, not to mention shows a part of the USA rarely seen. The cinematography and physical landscape of the film is beautiful. It also is smoothly edited.

The acting is always a topic of conversation in this kind of movie, and I found the film to have a lot of subtle and powerful performances, especially from Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman. Pullman's character is quite the specimen. A man who's quit his job as a lawyer (and partner of a firm) to grow grapes, essentially, and is having a hard time watching it fail. I felt that Pullman nailed the nuances and little emotions he needed to. He also had a good dynamic with Chris Pine. The restrained anger was especially well done by the veteran. Alan Rickman gives yet another interesting and intriguing performance in a part that was probably written for him. In the hands of any other actor, the character is bland at best, but Rickman gives Steven Spurrier a certain depth that makes him likable despite his snobbish attitude.

Surprising me with yet another great show after his wonderful performance in 'Bobby', Freddy Rodriguez gets a lot to chew on here. This guy has got to be one of the most underrated and rare talents in the business. I appreciated his Oscar worthy turn in 'Bobby', and he probably gives the most difficult and well done performance after Pullman. Chris Pine is acceptable, but is nothing special. Rachael Taylor has a certain likable charm about her (she has gorgeous hair and eyes), though the fact that her strong British accent slipped into her obviously fake American one a few times bothered me. Dennis Farina and Eliza Dushku are nice additions in smaller parts.

Bottle Shock certainly isn't for everyone. You won't find super huge action sequences or psychotic bad guys here, but you'll find a remarkable character study with a compelling enough story to keep a viewer interested. It is a movie that doesn't require a ton of thought, but some attention is needed. I will give our director and writer some props for keeping the movie going smoothly. It never dragged or was boring. If this one is playing at your local cinema, I advise you to give it a chance.

In 1976 the world of wine had mainly just one country on the map: France.

Quietly Californians had been making pretty good wine that no one, especially the French noticed. Until a British gentleman and oenophile, Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) made a competition that changed the world of wine forever.

Entertaining, inspiring, shot on location in the Napa Valley and France, this is a delightful movie, with solid acting, beautiful cinematography and all around sparkling goodness.

Although the script has one flaw, it is for the most part very solid and the acting and directing are top notch. Bill Pullman (wine maker), Alan Rickman, and Dennis Farina (delightful American in Paris) deliver solid performances. Relatively new actors Chris Pine (son of wine maker), Rachael Taylor (love interest) and especially Freddy Rodriguez (Mexican wine maker) round up this outstanding cast.

Randall Miller, the director. has to be commended not only for creating an endearing and lovingly original movie, but doing so in a small budget, and even more taking his creation himself to several cities, after no distributor stepped out, even though the movie had rave reviews in Sundance 2008.

The movie has opened in several theaters in North America, Toronto has been fortunate enough to get it, and I hope a major studio changes it's mind and takes this one world wide, but not to worry the director is finding eager movie theaters anyway.

Enjoyable from beginning to end, a true story that deserved a movie, got one! Go watch it.

Joseph Hurtado from Toronto

I recently got a chance to see Bottle Shock and I have to say I thought it was great. It's really charming and interesting in a very different way from Sideways, although because of all the beautiful Napa Valley photography, it still reminded me of it. It also has great characters and hilarious moments the way that film does. I highly recommend this film.

Based on a true story, it chronicles how California wine makers became serious contenders in the world competition of wine-- an honor previously assumed to be rewarded always to the French. It centers around a town of quirky up and coming wine makers, each with their own challenges to face. It's got a great cast, including Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Freddie Rodriguez, Rachel Taylor, Eliza Dushku and the hilarious Alan Rickman. Rickman plays an English wine seller in France who's desperate to find the best wines to sell in his store. He travels to California to see if the rumors are true about California's wines. His performance alone is worth seeing this.

It's a charming, heartwarming movie that I think will do very well when it opens 8/8. Check it out, you wont be disappointed.

9/10