Anybody else see the movie "A Good Year"?

[Jenise]

There's a great scene in the film most well-traveled Americans will love. An American couple is dining at this restaurant in a tiny town in Provence and a little commotion comes from their table as the French waiter gives up trying to help her and an Englishman comes to her rescue. Deaf to his accent, of course, she says, "Thank god you speak American," before ditching the menu entirely and saying, "Let me just tell you what I want. I want a salad nee-cwas-ee with ranch dressing. And could you put bacon bits on top?" I just howled!

The movie screened here recently on Pay TV. Have to say I didn't notice that particular scene, but then I'm not American. Thought the movie was a bit lame, actually - especially with Russell Crowe in the lead role.

[Jenise]

The movie screened here recently on Pay TV. Have to say I didn't notice that particular scene, but then I'm not American. Thought the movie was a bit lame, actually - especially with Russell Crowe in the lead role.

The movie is definitely a bit lame, but the book it's based on was quite lame, too. Amateurishly dumb at parts, in fact, which surprised me for Peter Mayle who'd I'd previously had a better opinion of. He needs to stick to non-fiction.

Talk about lame--did you notice the London dining scene in the beginning where one of the other fellows (who Russ joins for dinner) is tediously expounding to his serve on a wine he's just been poured a taste of with terms like "red-hued phenolics" before pronouncing it be a Bordeaux? The server then says, "No, it's a burgundy," and pours him more, reaching forward with a bottle that was in plain sight to him (though not us) all along--a burgundy shaped bottle. I did not sense that this was an attempt at humor, it seemed more a pointed attack on winespeak pomposity by filmmakers and crew who didn't know the difference.

But I did love the scene with the American woman--on my travels, I've met fellow Americans just like that. Like the ones in China last summer, who complained at being served too much Chinese food. And asked for ketchup.

But I did love the scene with the American woman--on my travels, I've met fellow Americans just like that. Like the ones in China last summer, who complained at being served too much Chinese food. And asked for ketchup.

I agree with you both. I didn't even finish watching the movie I thought it was so bad. Jenise, your mention above made me think of a trip to London. I decided to eat at the quite fancy restaurant on the top floor of Harrods. A very brash family came bustling in and headed toward the maitre'd station with the matriarch of the family following a good 50 feet behind. She yelled to the husband, "Find out if they have hot dawgs!!"

The movie is definitely a bit lame, but the book it's based on was quite lame, too. Amateurishly dumb at parts, in fact, which surprised me for Peter Mayle who'd I'd previously had a better opinion of. He needs to stick to non-fiction.

Read another book by Peter Mayle called 'Chasin Cezanne' - it was like the book didn't finish . I was left wondering what happed next. Yes - he was much better at non fiction. Loved 'A Year in Provence' and the TV series with the late John Thaw.

Talk about lame--did you notice the London dining scene in the beginning where one of the other fellows (who Russ joins for dinner) is tediously expounding to his serve on a wine he's just been poured a taste of with terms like "red-hued phenolics" before pronouncing it be a Bordeaux? The server then says, "No, it's a burgundy," and pours him more, reaching forward with a bottle that was in plain sight to him (though not us) all along--a burgundy shaped bottle. I did not sense that this was an attempt at humor, it seemed more a pointed attack on winespeak pomposity by filmmakers and crew who didn't know the difference.

Red-hued Phenolics!!!!!! Splutter, splutter. Missed that bit. I think I tuned in when he was leaving for a week's 'holiday' to sort out the estate.

I thought 'A Good Year' was pretty bad too. Movie and book. Over the years I have been a huge fan of Peter Mayle's books, both fiction and non-fiction, but the past couple years he seems to have slipped quite a bit. His easy-going style, which I really liked, just seems to have become lazy writing now. Maybe the good life in Provence has just relaxed his discipline too much and he's just been having too good a time? cheers, Bonnie

[Jenise]

I thought 'A Good Year' was pretty bad too. Movie and book. Over the years I have been a huge fan of Peter Mayle's books, both fiction and non-fiction, but the past couple years he seems to have slipped quite a bit. His easy-going style, which I really liked, just seems to have become lazy writing now. Maybe the good life in Provence has just relaxed his discipline too much and he's just been having too good a time? cheers, Bonnie

I think the problem is that he just had one great story in him, the one he lived when he moved to Provence, but not enough creativity and talent to span a career.

As for the movie, what if it had starred Hugh Grant, say, instead of Russell Crowe? Would we have been more tolerant of the cliches, more willing to suspend belief for the implausible? I somehow think I would, because all that's more or less what I expect of a Hugh Grant romantic comedy. Whereas a Russell Crowe movie suggests seriousness and higher standards all around--his mere presence made the lameness seem even more lame.

Jenise, I actually did like the books he did after 'A Year in Provence' - just not the last two or three that he has done. Completely agree with the idea of Hugh Grant in the role of Max - when I first read the book, my reaction was 'this was written for Hugh Grant'. But the movie itself was so lame, even Hugh Grant wouldn't have saved it, I don't think. He would have been great if the movie had followed the book, though. I can only think that Russell Crowe got this part because of being such buds with Ridley Scott. cheers, Bonnie

Saw the movie earlier this week in a hotel and found it pretty weak, but fine enough for relaxing viewing after a long day..

terms like "red-hued phenolics" before pronouncing it be a Bordeaux? The server then says, "No, it's a burgundy," and pours him more, reaching forward with a bottle that was in plain sight to him (though not us) all along--a burgundy shaped bottle. I did not sense that this was an attempt at humor, it seemed more a pointed attack on winespeak pomposity by filmmakers and crew who didn't know the difference..

This scene also stuck with me, because the bottle shape seemed to undermine the guy's legitimacy. I mean even if he was a slightly pompous character who was pretending to know more than he did, he seemed to know enough to tell the bottle shapes apart, so the scene didn't ring true.

I didn't see it as a pointed attack on winespeak however. More of an attack on that particular character.

[Jenise]

This scene also stuck with me, because the bottle shape seemed to undermine the guy's legitimacy. I mean even if he was a slightly pompous character who was pretending to know more than he did, he seemed to know enough to tell the bottle shapes apart, so the scene didn't ring true.

I didn't see it as a pointed attack on winespeak however. More of an attack on that particular character.

Could be, and therefore useful to show us what a shallow existence Max was living in London compared to what he'd find in Provence. I'll admit that lame as I thought it was, I watched it through to the end. Gorgeous scenery.

[David M. Bueker]

I enjoyed the movie as a time passer on an airplane.

[Jenise]

I enjoyed the movie as a time passer on an airplane.

That's really the crux of the problem. It's a romantic comedy that was neither very romantic nor very funny (slapstick, Chaplinesque driving and Crowe yelling "Lance Armstrong!" at a bunch of bicyclists he nearly mows down are the so-called humor moments, oh and the line about California wine being Hawaiian Punch, yeah that was hilarious ). It was in most ways a perfectly good movie with a good supporting cast, like the winemaker Duflot and his cheerfully frisky wife, rendered merely passable by a poor script. I read somewhere that the screenwriter spent a year in the area studying wine and food in preparation--it hardly showed.

I read somewhere that the screenwriter spent a year in the area studying wine and food in preparation

Sounds like expense account speak for a year long party to me.

[Jenise]

I read somewhere that the screenwriter spent a year in the area studying wine and food in preparation

Sounds like expense account speak for a year long party to me.

Ya think? You know what, after writing my comments yesterday I decided to read what the critics had to say about the film. I read the LA Times, NY Times and one other--and to a man, they all panned it for the same reasons most of us did here and suggested that it was nothing more than an excuse for a vacation (Director Ridley Scott and Peter Mayle are good friends and Ridley has a place in the area, so Ridley got his buddy's book made into a film and then invited other buddies like Russell to be in the movie so they could all play together.)

We need friends like that.