A Good Year

That powerhouse figures like Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe would agree to participate in as cliched and thoroughly predictable a film as A Good Year is baffling, although, that being said, the movie is certainly well made and sporadically entertaining. (It should’ve been so much more, however.) Crowe stars as Max Skinner, a high-powered stockbroker who starts questioning his superficial existence after flying to France to settle his recently-deceased uncle’s estate. It’s the sort of story we’ve seen countless time before, and while A Good Year‘s never quite as overly familiar as it could’ve been (ie Crowe’s character doesn’t start out with slicked-back hair, at least), it’s hard not to feel a twinge of disappointment as the film quickly reveals itself to be an innocuous and ultimately forgettable piece of work. Crowe delivers an expectedly strong performance, though he’s generally undercut by the engagingly quirky supporting cast (which includes Marion Cotillard, Abbie Cornish, and Tom Hollander). The gorgeous scenery is, of course, a highlight, and it’s worth noting that the film’s players are generally upstaged by the striking, sun-drenched vistas.

**1/2 out of ****