Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Borserie it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

sol- Inspired by true events, this independent American comedy focuses on a debt-ridden Californian vintner who gets invited to have his wines compete in a prestigious blind wine tasting competition in France. Bill Pullman is solid (as always) as the wine producer in question and Alan Rickman is also fine as the British wine connoisseur who offers Pullman the invitation, but there is not really much else driving the story and the film's attempts to pad out the plot to standard feature length generally do not a work. There are, for instance, lots of quirks in the mix, whether it be Rickman trying to get his mouth around a piece of KFC chicken, a bare breasts incident with a highway patrolman or Pullman insisting that all disputes are settled through boxing, but the film is never really funny for all its eccentricities. A lot of attention is also directed at Pullman's son, played by Chris Pine, and aside from a small-time wine tasting hustle, the actions of Pine and his hippie friends are never very exciting. The biggest problem with the film though is that Pullman's pigheadedness in not wanting his wines to enter the competition is never understandable. His reluctance seems to only exist for dramatic tension; after all, he unequivocally believes that his product is the best. The film certainly has its strong moments, such as Rickman's clever bypassing of airport security/customs, but there is a lot to wade through in between. Those who love their wine and have a strong interest in viticulture may, however, find quite a bit of interest here. Suffice it to say, one's mileage may vary.

SnoopyStyle 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.

jeffrey-depalma7 To compare this movie to sideways is a JOKE. In fact, I believe that the comparison that I keep seeing to sideways is what has been getting this movie such negative press. Bottle Shock was a delightful, playful, telling of the story of Château Montelena, which won the 1976 Paris blind tasting in regards to Chardonnay. There is just enough comic relief to keep viewers happy, and the story has its ups and downs, keeping the viewer engaged as well. Not to mention, this is, by all means, a star studded feature. Just because you do not see Brad Pitt or George Clooney, does not mean this film is lacking in star power. Chris Pine (who is now captain James T. Kirk) and Bill Pullman (he's the guy who always plays our president in blockbuster films, e.g. Independence Day) do just fine on their own. Throw in Dennis Farina (Law and Order) and Alan Rickman (Snape in Harry Potter) and you have more star power that most movies can hope to gather. Long story short, the correct cast was billed for the telling of this wonderful event in American history. You do not have to be a wine enthusiast to enjoy this movie.

FilmRap We finally caught up with this movie that we had been wanting to see since we missed it at the local movie theaters. As new Californians the pride we have in California wines is nothing compared to the passion that Napa valley vintners had in their local wines which 35 years ago were hardly recognized world wide as compared to French wines.This movie, which is based a true story, centers on Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) a Brit living in Paris who had a wine store there and his pal and confidant (Dennis Farina). Spurrier decided that he would stimulate interest in buying wine by showing that in the 1976 bicentennial anniversary year, the upstart Americans still could not make wine, which could hold a candle to the established French products. He travels to America and meets Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) owner, but deeply in debt, of the Montelena Château and his son Bo (Chris Pine) as well as a group of other California vintners. He convinces 12 of them to give him two bottles each to enter into a French wine tasting event in which the wine would be blindly judged. The California group knew that "if one wins, they all would win." As they say, the rest is history. There are a few subplots which include Sam (Rachel Taylor) the beautiful graduate student wine intern, Bo, Barrett's son who gets boxed around by his father and Gustavo (Freddy Rodriquez), the Mexican-American farm hand who is owner of a small wine maker operation with his father (Miquel Sandoval). The movie also stars the beautiful green California grape yards, the spirited Napa Valley Wine growers and the very French wine guys in Paris. There is the expectable dramatic blind wine tasting contest in Paris which has subsequently come to be known as Judgment in Paris. There were no big surprises although you do come away from the movie feeling good and also having learned an important history lesson about a product many people love and revere. (2008) ***