A Good Year
Encyclopedia
A Good Year is a 2006 British romantic comedy film
, set in London and Provence
. It was directed by Ridley Scott
, with an international cast including Russell Crowe
, Marion Cotillard
, Didier Bourdon
, Abbie Cornish
and Albert Finney
. It is based on the 2004 novel of the same name
by British author Peter Mayle
.
estate in Provence
in southeastern France. As an adult, 25 years later, Max is an aggressive, hard-working London-based investment trader
.
Upon his uncle's death, he is the sole beneficiary
of the property
. Max travels to Provence to prepare for a quick sale. He discovers that his latest financial stunt has landed him in hot water with the government and with his firm's management, necessitating a return to London. Before leaving, to assist the sale, Max hurriedly snaps photos and falls into an empty swimming pool. He is unable to escape until Fanny Chenal, whose bicycle he ran off the road with his careless driving, turns on the water supply in retaliation. The resulting delay causes Max to miss his flight. Because he fails to report in person to management, he is suspended from work and trading activities for one week.
Max must deal at the estate with a gruff yet dedicated winemaker, Francis Duflot, who fears being separated from his precious vines. Duflot pays a vineyard inspector to tell Max that the soil is bad and the vines worthless. They are surprised by the unexpected arrival of young Napa Valley oenophile Christie Roberts, who is backpacking through Europe and presents herself as Henry's previously unknown daughter.
Max believes she might lay claim to the estate. Worried about being usurped by his second-in-command in London (through whom Max continues to direct trades), Max intentionally gives the ambitious trader bad advice, which gets him fired.
Max becomes enamored of the beautiful, feisty café owner Fanny, who is rumored to have sworn off men. He successfully woos Fanny, who leaves Max the next morning expecting him to return to his life in London. A disillusioned Christie also leaves Provence, and the estate is sold. Max returns to his life in London.
Management there offers Max a choice: "Money or your life." He must choose a discharge settlement, which includes "a lot of zeros," or a partnership in the trading firm, in which he would be "made for life". Max chooses the money. He cleverly negates the estate's selling by orchestrating (through a forged letter from Henry – as a child he signed cheques for his uncle, thusly being ably to imitate his signature) that Christie has a valid claim on the property. He puts up his London residence for sale and returns to Provence, entering into a relationship with Fanny. At the estate, meanwhile, Christie and Francis must reconcile their vastly different philosophies of wine production and jointly run the vineyard.
and Gordes
in Vaucluse, Marseille Provence Airport
, and the rail station in Avignon
. London locations included Albion Riverside
in Battersea
, Broadgate
, the Bluebird Cafe on Kings Road
in Chelsea
, and Criterion Restaurant in Piccadilly Circus
.
Director Scott and novelist Mayle worked together in advertising and commercials thirty years ago and both are now landowners in the Luberon
region of Provence.
The soundtrack includes "Moi Lolita" by Alizée
, "Breezin' Along with the Breeze" by Josephine Baker
, "Gotta Get Up," "Jump into the Fire," and "How Can I Be Sure of You" by Harry Nilsson
, "Hey Joe
" by Johnny Hallyday
, "Vous, qui passez sans me voir" and "J'attendrai" by Jean Sablon
, "Le chant du gardien" by Tino Rossi
, "Je chante" by Charles Trenet
, "Old Cape Cod" by Patti Page
, "Walk Right Back" by the Everly Brothers, "Boum" by Adrien Chevalier, and "Itsy Bitsy Petit Bikini" by Richard Anthony. The CD includes only 15 songs from the film; several are left out.
, $4,247,140 in Spain, $2,573,190 in Australia and $1,896,983 in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It took a further $7,459,300 in Canada and the United States for a total worldwide gross of $42,061,749. Although exceeding its production budget, the gross was significantly lower than was hoped. Because of this it was described by Rupert Murdoch
as a "flop" in November 2006.
It has earned over $7 million in US DVD sales.
the film has a 25% approval rating, and the consensus describes it as "a sappy romantic comedy lacking in charm and humor".
In his review in the New York Times, Stephen Holden called it "an innocuous, feel-good movie," "a sun-dappled romantic diversion," and "a three-P movie: pleasant, pretty and predictable. One might add piddling . . . A Good Year is the movie equivalent of poring over a glossy brochure for a luxury vacation you could never afford while a roughneck salesman who imagines he has class harangues you to hurry up and make a decision about taking the tour. My advice is to resist the pitch."
Kenneth Turan
of the Los Angeles Times
observed, "Though A Good Year is set in French wine country, it's best described as small beer. The scenery may be attractive and the cast likewise, but something vital is missing in this all-too-leisurely film . . . [it] is one of those ever-popular movies in which impossibly rich people, clueless about what really matters, turn out to be incapable of enjoying the simple things in life . . . The fact that we know exactly what will happen to Max from the moment he appears on screen is not what's wrong with A Good Year. After all, we go to films like this precisely because the satisfaction of emotional certainty is what we're looking for. What we're not looking for is a romantic comedy made by individuals with no special feeling for the genre who stretch a half hour's worth of story to nearly two hours."
In Variety
, Todd McCarthy called the film "a divertissement, an excuse for the filmmakers and cast to enjoy a couple of months in Provence and for the audience, by proxy, to spend a couple of hours there. A simple repast consisting of sometimes strained slapstick
y comedy, a sweet romance and a life lesson learned, this little picnic doesn't amount to much but goes down easily enough . . . Crowe executes a lightweight change of pace with his charisma entirely intact . . . There are moments when the enchanting Cotillard resembles a Gallic, dark-haired Reese Witherspoon
, and Aussie Abbie Cornish
, in her first Hollywood film, continues her quick ascent with a perfect Yank accent and a nice note of observant reserve. The setting could hardly be made to look less than glorious, and production standards are up to what one expects from a Scott picture."
Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle
said, "Crowe and Scott bring a lot of effort to a project that probably meant a lot to both of them, for entirely different reasons. But despite some stunning visuals and a lot of nice moments, the finished product feels like the work of an actor and director who are out of their element. It's difficult to ignore the fact that they've created a romantic comedy that has almost no romance and even less comedy . . . Scott struggles mightily with the finer points of the genre. The comedy is mostly slapstick, and the forced attempts at hilarity sometimes decline to Benny Hill
depths which don't fit well with the rest of the visual tone. And the romance is almost nonexistent until the final third of the film, when Max's courtship becomes so rushed that it seems foolish even by cinematic standards."
In the St. Petersburg Times
, Steve Persall rated the film B+ and added it "is a lighter choice than usual for the rugged actor and for Ridley Scott . . . A change of scenery suits them well. Yet they still bring a roguish flavor to the romantic comedy sentiments established by Peter Mayle's novel. This is a chick flick
for dudes, too . . . A Good Year runs about a month too long, but it's tough to leave such a lovely place. Scott blends the don't-rush-past-love appeal of Jerry Maguire
with the continental air of Under the Tuscan Sun for a robustly romantic diversion."
Jessica Reaves of the Chicago Tribune
rated the film two stars out of a possible four and described it as "unbearably sweet and emotionally lifeless." She added, "Despite the occasional seductive moment, A Good Year disappoints. The film, for all its pretensions of revelatory, life-altering enlightenment, is actually about as deep as a wading pool, as substantive as cotton candy."
In the UK, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian
called it "a humourless cinematic slice of tourist gastro-porn," while Philip French of The Observer
remarked, "I'm not in favour of veils, but I'd make an exception for Ridley Scott's A Good Year, over which one should be drawn immediately."
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
, set in London and Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
. It was directed by Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
, with an international cast including Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard is a French actress and singer. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in films such as La Vie en Rose, My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument, Taxi, Furia and Jeux d'enfants...
, Didier Bourdon
Didier Bourdon
Didier Bourdon is a French Algeria-born actor, screenwriter and film director.He first reached stardom in France when he created the comedic trio Les Inconnus with Bernard Campan and Pascal Légitimus, which was very popular throughout the 1990s....
, Abbie Cornish
Abbie Cornish
Abbie Cornish is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, particularly her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault, and internationally for her role as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star and her appearance as Sweet Pea in Sucker Punch.-...
and Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
. It is based on the 2004 novel of the same name
A Good Year (novel)
A Good Year is a 2004 novel by English writer Peter Mayle, author of A Year in Provence and Chasing Cézanne. The story follows Max Skinner, a London stockbroker, who loses his job before finding out that he inherited a vineyard in France from his late uncle Henry.In 2006 it was made into a film...
by British author Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle is a British author famous for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France. He spent fifteen years in the advertising industry before leaving the business in 1975 to write educational books, including a series on sex education for children and young people...
.
Plot
In a prologue, a young Max Skinner spends his summer holidays learning to appreciate the finer things in life at his Uncle Henry's vineyardVineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
estate in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
in southeastern France. As an adult, 25 years later, Max is an aggressive, hard-working London-based investment trader
Stock trader
A stock trader or a stock investor is an individual or firm who buys and sells stocks in the financial markets. Many stock traders will trade bonds as well...
.
Upon his uncle's death, he is the sole beneficiary
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
of the property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. Max travels to Provence to prepare for a quick sale. He discovers that his latest financial stunt has landed him in hot water with the government and with his firm's management, necessitating a return to London. Before leaving, to assist the sale, Max hurriedly snaps photos and falls into an empty swimming pool. He is unable to escape until Fanny Chenal, whose bicycle he ran off the road with his careless driving, turns on the water supply in retaliation. The resulting delay causes Max to miss his flight. Because he fails to report in person to management, he is suspended from work and trading activities for one week.
Max must deal at the estate with a gruff yet dedicated winemaker, Francis Duflot, who fears being separated from his precious vines. Duflot pays a vineyard inspector to tell Max that the soil is bad and the vines worthless. They are surprised by the unexpected arrival of young Napa Valley oenophile Christie Roberts, who is backpacking through Europe and presents herself as Henry's previously unknown daughter.
Max believes she might lay claim to the estate. Worried about being usurped by his second-in-command in London (through whom Max continues to direct trades), Max intentionally gives the ambitious trader bad advice, which gets him fired.
Max becomes enamored of the beautiful, feisty café owner Fanny, who is rumored to have sworn off men. He successfully woos Fanny, who leaves Max the next morning expecting him to return to his life in London. A disillusioned Christie also leaves Provence, and the estate is sold. Max returns to his life in London.
Management there offers Max a choice: "Money or your life." He must choose a discharge settlement, which includes "a lot of zeros," or a partnership in the trading firm, in which he would be "made for life". Max chooses the money. He cleverly negates the estate's selling by orchestrating (through a forged letter from Henry – as a child he signed cheques for his uncle, thusly being ably to imitate his signature) that Christie has a valid claim on the property. He puts up his London residence for sale and returns to Provence, entering into a relationship with Fanny. At the estate, meanwhile, Christie and Francis must reconcile their vastly different philosophies of wine production and jointly run the vineyard.
Cast
- Russell CroweRussell CroweRussell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
as Max Skinner - Albert FinneyAlbert FinneyAlbert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
as Uncle Henry - Marion CotillardMarion CotillardMarion Cotillard is a French actress and singer. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in films such as La Vie en Rose, My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument, Taxi, Furia and Jeux d'enfants...
as Fanny Chenal - Abbie CornishAbbie CornishAbbie Cornish is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, particularly her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault, and internationally for her role as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star and her appearance as Sweet Pea in Sucker Punch.-...
as Christie Roberts - Didier BourdonDidier BourdonDidier Bourdon is a French Algeria-born actor, screenwriter and film director.He first reached stardom in France when he created the comedic trio Les Inconnus with Bernard Campan and Pascal Légitimus, which was very popular throughout the 1990s....
as Francis Duflot - Isabelle CandelierIsabelle Candelier-Selected filmography:* Andre the Magnificent * Lise and Andre * Mademoiselle * Le pacte du silence * Strange Gardens * A Good Year * Bancs publics -External links:...
as Ludivine Duflot - Freddie HighmoreFreddie HighmoreAlfred Thomas "Freddie" Highmore is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Finding Neverland, Five Children and It, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Arthur and the Invisibles, August Rush, The Golden Compass, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and Toast.-Early life:Highmore was...
as Young Max Skinner - Tom HollanderTom HollanderThomas Anthony "Tom" Hollander is a British actor who has appeared in productions such as Enigma, Gosford Park, Cambridge Spies, Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, In the Loop, Valkyrie and Hanna.-Early life:Tom Hollander was born in Bristol and raised in Oxford, Oxfordshire, the son...
as Charlie Willis - Rafe SpallRafe SpallRafe Joseph Spall is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the Edgar Wright films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz , alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. He had previously appeared alongside Pegg and Frost in a 2001 episode of Spaced...
as Kenny - Richard CoyleRichard CoyleRichard Coyle is an English actor.-Early life:Coyle was born in Sheffield, England to Irish parents. He began his acting career after a stint working on a ferry entertaining passengers, where he was told by a theatre director that he had a talent and should pursue it further...
as Amis - Archie Panjabi as Gemma
- Kenneth CranhamKenneth CranhamKenneth Cranham is a film, television and stage actor. He starred in the title role in the popular 1980s comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon. He also appeared in Layer Cake, Gangster No. 1, Rome, Oliver! and many other films. He is probably best known to horror genre fans as the deranged Dr...
as Sir Nigel - Daniel MaysDaniel Mays-Early life:One of four boys, Mays was raised in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, by his electrician father and bank cashier mother. He attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts before going on to win a place at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Career:...
as Bert, the doorman. - Giannina FacioGiannina FacioGiannina Facio is a Costa Rican actress, who has appeared in a number of films by British film director and producer Ridley Scott. She first worked with Scott in Gladiator ; as of then, she has been Scott's partner...
as Maitre D'
Production
French locations were filmed at BonnieuxBonnieux
Bonnieux is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:Bonnieux is one of the many historic "hill villages" in the region. Dating back to Roman times, it rests on top of the Luberon hills casting a watchful gaze across the rest of...
and Gordes
Gordes
Gordes is a commune in the Vaucluse département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.The residents are known as Gordiens...
in Vaucluse, Marseille Provence Airport
Marseille Provence Airport
Marseille Provence Airport or Aéroport de Marseille Provence is an airport located 27 km northwest of Marseille, on the territory of Marignane, both communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région of France...
, and the rail station in Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
. London locations included Albion Riverside
Albion Riverside
Albion Riverside, in London, is a high-end residential development located between Albert Bridge and Battersea Bridge on the River Thames.Completed in 2003 for client Hutchison Whampoa Property, it was designed by Foster and Partners in a high-tech modernist style to include an unusual asymmetrical...
in Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, Broadgate
Broadgate
Broadgate is a large, office and retail estate in the City of London, owned by British Land and the Blackstone Group and managed by Broadgate Estates...
, the Bluebird Cafe on Kings Road
Kings Road
King's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England...
in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, and Criterion Restaurant in Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
.
Director Scott and novelist Mayle worked together in advertising and commercials thirty years ago and both are now landowners in the Luberon
Luberon
The Luberon or Luberon Massif , also called Lubéron, has a maximum altitude of 1,256 m and an area of about 600 km²...
region of Provence.
The soundtrack includes "Moi Lolita" by Alizée
Alizée
Alizée Jacotey is a French singer, known professionally by her given name Alizée She was discovered by Mylène Farmer, following her winning performance in the talent show, Graines de Star, in 1999...
, "Breezin' Along with the Breeze" by Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"....
, "Gotta Get Up," "Jump into the Fire," and "How Can I Be Sure of You" by Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
, "Hey Joe
Hey Joe
"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
" by Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan...
, "Vous, qui passez sans me voir" and "J'attendrai" by Jean Sablon
Jean Sablon
Jean Sablon was a popular French singer and actor.The son of a composer, with brothers and sisters who had successful careers of their own in musical entertainment, Jean Sablon studied piano at the Lyceé Charlemagne in Paris...
, "Le chant du gardien" by Tino Rossi
Tino Rossi
Tino Rossi was a singer and film actor.Born Constantino Rossi in Ajaccio, Corsica, France, he became a tenor of French cabaret and one of the great romantic idols of his time. Gifted with an operatic voice, a "Latin Lover" persona made him a movie star as well...
, "Je chante" by Charles Trenet
Charles Trenet
Charles Trenet was a French singer and songwriter, most famous for his recordings from the late 1930s until the mid-1950s, though his career continued through the 1990s...
, "Old Cape Cod" by Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
, "Walk Right Back" by the Everly Brothers, "Boum" by Adrien Chevalier, and "Itsy Bitsy Petit Bikini" by Richard Anthony. The CD includes only 15 songs from the film; several are left out.
Box office
The film was budgeted at $35 million. It grossed $7,205,533 in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, $4,247,140 in Spain, $2,573,190 in Australia and $1,896,983 in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It took a further $7,459,300 in Canada and the United States for a total worldwide gross of $42,061,749. Although exceeding its production budget, the gross was significantly lower than was hoped. Because of this it was described by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
as a "flop" in November 2006.
It has earned over $7 million in US DVD sales.
Critical reception
The film received generally negative reviews. On the review aggregate site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
the film has a 25% approval rating, and the consensus describes it as "a sappy romantic comedy lacking in charm and humor".
In his review in the New York Times, Stephen Holden called it "an innocuous, feel-good movie," "a sun-dappled romantic diversion," and "a three-P movie: pleasant, pretty and predictable. One might add piddling . . . A Good Year is the movie equivalent of poring over a glossy brochure for a luxury vacation you could never afford while a roughneck salesman who imagines he has class harangues you to hurry up and make a decision about taking the tour. My advice is to resist the pitch."
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan is an American film critic and Lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.-Background:...
of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
observed, "Though A Good Year is set in French wine country, it's best described as small beer. The scenery may be attractive and the cast likewise, but something vital is missing in this all-too-leisurely film . . . [it] is one of those ever-popular movies in which impossibly rich people, clueless about what really matters, turn out to be incapable of enjoying the simple things in life . . . The fact that we know exactly what will happen to Max from the moment he appears on screen is not what's wrong with A Good Year. After all, we go to films like this precisely because the satisfaction of emotional certainty is what we're looking for. What we're not looking for is a romantic comedy made by individuals with no special feeling for the genre who stretch a half hour's worth of story to nearly two hours."
In Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, Todd McCarthy called the film "a divertissement, an excuse for the filmmakers and cast to enjoy a couple of months in Provence and for the audience, by proxy, to spend a couple of hours there. A simple repast consisting of sometimes strained slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
y comedy, a sweet romance and a life lesson learned, this little picnic doesn't amount to much but goes down easily enough . . . Crowe executes a lightweight change of pace with his charisma entirely intact . . . There are moments when the enchanting Cotillard resembles a Gallic, dark-haired Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
, and Aussie Abbie Cornish
Abbie Cornish
Abbie Cornish is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, particularly her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault, and internationally for her role as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star and her appearance as Sweet Pea in Sucker Punch.-...
, in her first Hollywood film, continues her quick ascent with a perfect Yank accent and a nice note of observant reserve. The setting could hardly be made to look less than glorious, and production standards are up to what one expects from a Scott picture."
Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
said, "Crowe and Scott bring a lot of effort to a project that probably meant a lot to both of them, for entirely different reasons. But despite some stunning visuals and a lot of nice moments, the finished product feels like the work of an actor and director who are out of their element. It's difficult to ignore the fact that they've created a romantic comedy that has almost no romance and even less comedy . . . Scott struggles mightily with the finer points of the genre. The comedy is mostly slapstick, and the forced attempts at hilarity sometimes decline to Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
depths which don't fit well with the rest of the visual tone. And the romance is almost nonexistent until the final third of the film, when Max's courtship becomes so rushed that it seems foolish even by cinematic standards."
In the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, Steve Persall rated the film B+ and added it "is a lighter choice than usual for the rugged actor and for Ridley Scott . . . A change of scenery suits them well. Yet they still bring a roguish flavor to the romantic comedy sentiments established by Peter Mayle's novel. This is a chick flick
Chick flick
Chick flick is a slang term for a film mainly dealing with love and romance designed to appeal to a female target audience. Although many types of films may be directed toward the female gender, "chick flick" is typically used only in reference to films that are heavy with emotion or contain themes...
for dudes, too . . . A Good Year runs about a month too long, but it's tough to leave such a lovely place. Scott blends the don't-rush-past-love appeal of Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe...
with the continental air of Under the Tuscan Sun for a robustly romantic diversion."
Jessica Reaves of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
rated the film two stars out of a possible four and described it as "unbearably sweet and emotionally lifeless." She added, "Despite the occasional seductive moment, A Good Year disappoints. The film, for all its pretensions of revelatory, life-altering enlightenment, is actually about as deep as a wading pool, as substantive as cotton candy."
In the UK, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called it "a humourless cinematic slice of tourist gastro-porn," while Philip French of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
remarked, "I'm not in favour of veils, but I'd make an exception for Ridley Scott's A Good Year, over which one should be drawn immediately."