The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Catch Crowe as the investment banker

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Sunday, Dec 03, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Catch Crowe as the investment banker

A Good Year (English)

Cast: Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, Marion Cotillard and Abbie Cornish

Director: Ridley Scott

In A Good Year, Ridley Scott teams up with Russell Crowe, with whom he worked earlier in the appalling swords and sandal saga, The Gladiator.

Here Crowe plays Max Skinner, a highly successful investment banker and a jerk living by the motto of "winning is not everything, it is the only thing".

One fine day after making a seven-figure profit in market by dubious means, Max learns that his beloved uncle Henry (who he has not spoken to in many years) is dead and he is the owner of his uncle's vineyard and mansion in Province.

He goes to Province to sell the property and make more money but of course you know that is not going to happen. Max, the wicked city foreigner falls for pastoral charms and also for the lovely local lady and all is well that ends well.

The movie is hopelessly insubstantial. It goes about being a light-hearted comedy with deadly seriousness, which does not help the movie at all.

The casting is interesting for the amount that would have been invested in dialogue coaches! Russell Crowe is from New Zealand and plays a Britisher. Then there is the Australian Abbie Cornish who plays Kristy, an American and Henry's illegitimate daughter.

There is love interest Fanny, played by Marion Cotillard, who does an indeterminate French/English accent.

The most irritating is Archie Panjabi as Max's secretary Jemma who does a Peter Sellers Indian accent. One thought that went out of the window millennia ago.

The best thing about the film is Albert Finney who is wonderful as the avuncular Henry. Otherwise the film is not engaging and has really nothing going for it.

Mini Anthikad-Chhibber

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