A Viúva Clicquot

Combining all of the elements that go into making a fine film and blending the various ingredients in just the right proportions is akin to the practice of crafting a fine wine - and quite an irony here given the subject matter of this engaging cinematic biography of Barbe Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot (1777-1866) (Haley Bennett), the French winemaker who became better known as "the Grand Dame of Champagne." Having inherited the business of her husband, François (Tom Sturridge), after this death, she vowed to continue operating the winery, carrying on his vision for innovation in the face of stiff competition from the rival Moet organization. But doing so was quite the challenge in light of financial difficulties, vintage failures, the questionable business practices of competitors, the responsibility of raising a young daughter (Cecily Cleeve) as a single mother, onerous operating conditions during the Napoleonic Era and the profound doubts of others (most notably her skeptical sexist father-in-law, Philippe (Ben Miles)) about whether a woman could successfully run an organization like this. Director Thomas Napper's latest chronicles the Widow Clicquot's inventive efforts to address these issues, as well as her ambitious initiatives to live up to the dreams of her late husband, in large part with the assistance of her loyal distributor, Louis (Sam Riley). In telling this story, the filmmaker seamlessly blends challenging events of everyday operations with flashbacks of a more personal nature, exploring the heartfelt feelings that provided the basis for the Clicquot philosophy of winemaking. The picture's superbly crafted narrative and screenplay, combined with exquisite period piece production values and excellent performances (particularly Bennett in one of her best on-screen portrayals), make for an involving, multifaceted watch. Admittedly, there are times in the second half where the story meanders somewhat, and some may find that this release gets a little too detailed when discussing the technical particulars of vinification. However, much of this offering is evenly balanced, effectively holding viewer interest about a subject that's not especially common in the annals of filmmaking. What's more, though, on a more philosophical level, this release celebrates the inherent joy and passion involved in the act of creating, ideas applicable to the manifestation of any artform, be it wine or painting or whatever else we're capable of envisioning and bringing into being. And, if that's not worth drinking a toast to, I don't know what is.

Widow Clicquot is an adaption of a true story about Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, who was to become known as the "Grande Dame of Champagne". Widowed after her mentally ill husband commits suicide, Barbe-Nicole must take on the male hierarchy to have control over her deceased husband's vineyard and in doing so continue with their quest to create something great, during a time when Napoleon had blocked trade routes. Haley Bennet was superb as Barbe-Nicole, you felt her power and her grief. I have to say she reminds me of Jennifer Lawrence in looks. The whole cast was fantastic, if you love historical dramas about strong women, I highly recommend it.

I went to see the movie at the local cinema due to my wife's suggestion but I was concerned it was the type of movie I would later wish I didn't bother to go and view. Not my cup of tea so to speak.

Instead, I was glad I did. It made me feel I was in the Champagne region and the acting seemed in keeping with the French way. It was in my eyes a realistic portrayal of events and the region.

I knew nothing of the person(s) or the Champagne brand but a little research beforehand helped. In any movie covering someone's life there has to be a balance with what parts are emphasised and I was happy with the mix in that regard.

A very good film exploring the start of Veuve Cliquet although I felt it could have explored a lot more about how her champagne mixing made the drink such a success rather than focussing on her obviously manic husband. 90 minutes was about 30 minutes too short for such an interesting subject played superbly by. Haley Bennett. The cast was excellent and some compelling characters, which again cloud have been explored more deeply, e.g. What was the past of the distributor, what was the relationship with the father and workers? Overall one of the better films I have seen in 2024 and highly recommend.

"Widow Clicquot" is an art film with historical chops helping those of us who love champagne and those who study Napolean. "Widow" is important in that title because in the early 19th century Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot (Haley Bennett) challenged the 1804 Napoleonic code that didn't allow women to be business owners unless she was a widow.

Throughout the story, flashbacks allow us to see how she became widowed and how she grew into a winemaker helping to establish forever the méthode champenoise. The contemporary scenes allow reflections on the past and, most importantly, the role of women in the early 19th century. Although the early parts where she is struggling and learning the business of producing champagne is visually dark, Bennett infuses Barbe with enough potential energy to light up the screen.

More exciting than seeing her romances with men and wine is the process of refining her test samples into what has been known as "Comet Champagne" after the inspiration of a comet in her sky at that time. Her formula now is identified as Clicquot, a gold standard for fine champagne.

It's possible some would like to discount the feminist angle of this rich biography, but at their peril. The seeds of reasonable progress are sown here because of her excellence in developing the winery and thereby one of the world's greatest wines.

The dramatic tale, from reality, is as powerful as any romantic drama today. Too bad some will miss it out of a fear of being preached to about women's place. It is all about human ingenuity and ambition, male or female.