Bottle Shock (2008)

In 1976, in the Napa Valley, the perfectionist vigneron Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) is the owner of the Château Montelena that is full of debts and near bankruptcy. Jim is unsuccessfully racking his wine trying to reach perfection. He has a problematic relationship with his hippie son Bo (Chris Pine) and his Mexican foreman and connoisseur Gustavo Brambila (Freddy Rodriguez) is secretly producing wine with his father Mr. Garcia (Miguel Sandoval). Jim hires the free spirit intern Sam Fulton (Rachael Taylor) from UC Davis to help him in the production of wine. Meanwhile in Paris, the wine expert Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) that owns a specialized store has few clients. His friend Maurice Cantavale (Dennis Farina) advises him to promote his store and he decides to organize a blind tasting competition between the French and the American wines. He travels to Napa Valley to find the best American wines to bring to the dispute. He has a troubled meeting with Jim that refuses to participate in the competition. However Bo foresees the chance of survival of his father's business and gives two bottles to Spurrier. But soon he finds that the color of all the 500 bottles of chardonnay have turned into brown. Is Jim Barrett's business doomed? "Bottle Shock" is a delightful movie based on a true story. This little but charming movie is not available on DVD in Brazil but only on cable ("O Julgamento de Paris", meaning "The Paris Judgement"), but I bought the American DVD following the advice of a friend of mine from California. The story has a pleasant screenplay with entertaining subplots that might or might not really happen, such as the triangle of love among Sam, Gustavo and Bo, that keeps the plot never boring. The cast has good names associated to the beautiful locations that make this little movie worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): Not Available

There have been one or two films about wine over the years, but very few about American wine. This independent film, I guess, looks to cash in on the critical success of the very enjoyable Sideways (2004). It is based on true events, but unfortunately it doesn't quite hit the mark, for me at least. But more of that later.This film tells the story of how, in 1976, Californian wines from the Napa valley became internationally acceptable. It all came about because a rather stuck-up wine expert, based in Paris, called Steven Spurrier decided to broaden his horizons and arrange a blind tasting of French and American wines. We then learn about the lives of those making the wine. In particular vineyard owner Jim Barrett and his son Bo, and some of the people they employ, Gustavo Brambila and Sam Fulton. Mr Spurrier goes to the Napa Valley and tastes all of the wines on offer. He makes a list of the best of them and samples are shipped to France for the tasting. And this is where history is made.You would think, from my very short synopsis that the plot would concentrate on the Steven Spurrier character, but no. The vast majority of the film is taken up with the relationships between Jim, Bo, Sam and Gustavo. Although, yes, that part of the story was interesting up to a point, the important events were kind of just thrown in here and there. This made for quite a disjointed film that I found a little difficult to watch. Having said that the cinematography was spot on, some great use of the scenery and the light. Nobody particularly stood out, for me as far as performances go, though Alan Rickman was pretty good as Steven Spurrier. Honourable mentions go to Bill Pullman as Jim Barrett, Chris Pine as Bo Barrett, Rachael Taylor as Sam Fulton and Freddy Rodríguez as Gustavo Brambila.Over all I didn't warm to the characters in this film as much as I though I would and that made it kind of disappointing for me. The cinematography was good but the plot needed to be refined a lot more. It's not a great film, but not a bad one either. I won't be watching it again in a hurry, but if you're not averse to downing a bottle or two and you love the Napa Valley then I guess it's recommended. Otherwise, maybe give it a miss.My score: 6.1/10

The scenery is great and the feel for the epoch (except for Bo's wig) is not bad either but that's about it.I agree with many other reviewers: the road side accident scene is used too many times; there are too many scenes of someone looking pensively in the distance and saying deep things about wine making; the lodgings of the unpaid intern? I would not say no to such picturesque settings myself.A final point. We are supposed to feel angry for the fact that Bill Pullman's character is not (re-)made partner after he made perfectly clear that he hates that job and that coming back is the last thing he wants to do? Having said that the plot and the pace are reasonable. I cannot give less than 5 since after all it is a quite pleasant movie.

This charming comedy tells the true story of the Château Montelena winery in 1976 Calistoga, CA and how it helped American (specifically Californian) wine break into the sophisticated wine market previously dominated by France.The financially struggling winery is run by perfectionist Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman), with assistance from Gustavo (Freddy Rodriguez, "Six Feet Under"), the son of a Mexican field hand who has aspirations of opening his own winery. Also along for the ride is Jim's hippie son, the long-haired, good-natured Bo (Chris Pine of "Star Trek") who has dropped out of college and is stuck in a stagnant existence. When the film opens young intern Sam (Rachael Taylor) has joined the winery to learn all she can about viniculture.Meanwhile, British wine snob Steven Spurrier (a delightful Alan Rickman) has journeyed from his struggling wine shop in Paris to Napa Valley to see what all the fuss is about regarding California wine. Impressed by the quality of vino across the pond, Spurrier arranges the famous blind taste testing wine competition in Paris. Eliza Dushku ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Bring it On"), plays a local barmaid who helps Bo get Château Montelena's wine into the competition."Bottle Shock" is light and funny, with solid performances from the entire cast and a charming, genuinely interesting true story behind it. An enjoyable rental.