Max Skinner (Crowe) is the main man on the London Stock Exchange, making millions in minutes. Ruthless and uncompromising in his pursuit of money, Max had his admirers and his haters but that didn t matter to him. There was a time when he was different and he is about to be reminded of it.
Hearing that his only relative, his Uncle Henry (Finney), has died, Max has to travel to Provence to deal with his estate but when he arrives at the Chateau where he spent most of his childhood summers, he remembers that his time in France might well have been the best time of his life.
After enjoying Oscar winning success with the sword and sandals epic Gladiator , director Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe reunite for a very different kid of movie.
Based on the novel by A Year on Provence writer Peter Mayle, A Good Year sees both Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe move away from their usual high concept fair to deliver a romantic comedy drama that you cannot help but enjoy.
Russell Crowe plays Max Skinner, a ruthless moneymaking broker who basically terrorises the London Stock Exchange, making bundles of money along the way. All the trapping of a successful career are at his fingertips. An apartment overlooking the Thames, all the best clothes and women baying for his attention but because of the competitiveness of the business, he has very few friends and trusts no one.
When he is told his Uncle Henry has died, he starts to remember a time when life wasn t about making money, especially when he has to return to Provence to take care of his Uncle s estate.
It is when Max heads to the French chateau that the story really starts. As he walks around the estate he remembers the summers he spent with his Uncle and how much he loved the place were he grew up.
Can these memories, the house and the vineyard make him realise that there is more to life than money? Does this sound familiar?
While the story may have a little bit of the Scrooge about it, it is the way it is acted and shot that makes this such an enjoyable new take on the classic tail.
Finding the true meaning and purpose of life is the running plotline of the book and the movie but it is the way that Max goes about it and the way that Russell Crowe plays the role that draws you into this all too familiar plotline. You know exactly how it is going to end but it is the enjoyable journey to get there that makes the film such a pleasant watch.
As you d expect from Ridley Scott, the film is a visual delight.
From the dank, metallic greyness of his life in London to the brightly coloured, almost heavenly flashback sequences of the young Max with his Uncle Henry, Max s outlook on life is reflected in the mood of the colours on screen, as he gets happier so does the brightness of movie. This proves again that Ridley Scott is one of the most visual and talented directors ever.
Along with Russell Crowe fine performance, the rest of the cast live up to their Oscar winning co-star.
The incredibly beautiful Marion Cotillard is excellent as Fanny Chenal, even with her unfortunate, very French name. Didier Bourdon and Isabelle Candelier provide some laughs as vineyard keeper Francis Duflot and his housekeeping wife Ludivine. Tom Hollander continues to make a name for himself with another good performance as Max s friend and estate agent Charlie.
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