Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that main character Max is selfish and greedy and doesn't care who he hurts to get ahead. His whole life is about making money, and he revels in the fact that he's good at it, even though people hate him. Wine and drinking figure prominently in the storyline, and the romance between two characters gets a little steamy (they flirt, tear each other's clothes off, and end up in bed), but it's nothing teens haven't seen before. That said, most teens probably won't be too interested in this one, since it focuses on more mid-life issues.
Families can talk about what's important in life: money or family? Max has lived his life solely for himself and his own gain -- how has that affected his quality of life? How can people balance earning a good living with having time for friends and family? Is it possible to do both? What kinds of sacrifices are needed? What does Max learn in the course of the movie?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jane Boursaw
Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) is a rich, selfish, high-powered stock trader living the high life in London. He's not interested in slowing down -- until his Uncle Henry (Albert Finney) dies and leaves him a beautiful country chateau in France, complete with a dilapidated villa and a huge vineyard. Max spent many happy summers there as a child, learning about life and winemaking from his wise uncle. (Freddie Highmore plays young Max in the flashback scenes.)
Max hasn't been there in 10 years, but now he's forced to -- gasp! -- take time off from work to attend to his uncle's estate. His plan: Get in and out of France in 24 hours, and sell the chateau to the highest bidder. Of course, since this is a movie, things don't go as planned. Max misses his plane and gets stuck in France, dealing with all those pesky, warm memories.
Before long, he starts to soften, but he's pulled in both directions. He appreciates the chance to re-live his childhood memories, but he's not quite ready to give up his luxe London life. Complicating things are feisty Fanny (Marion Cotillard) and Henry's illegitimate daughter, Kristy (Abbie Cornish), both of whom have Max thinking about his future.
We've seen this movie before in various incarnations -- most notably, as Under the Tuscan Sun, with Diane Lane in the Russell Crowe part, discovering herself in the Italian countryside. Consequently, there are no surprises here. We know what's going to happen, and we know pretty much how it's going to happen.
That said, A GOOD YEAR is a nice production (with beautiful, sun-washed landscapes) by Ridley Scott, a great director who makes audiences care about his characters, even if everyone does know how things are going to turn out. Crowe does the bad-boy-turned-good role well, and he manages to keep the pace moving along fairly well. All in all, this movie is a pleasant enough way to spend a couple of hours if you're not looking for anything earth-shattering.
Fans may also like Under the Tuscan Sun, Sideways, and A Walk in the Clouds.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentRomance and flirting between characters, sexual banter, bedroom scene, female characters in tight dresses with cleavage. |
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ViolenceCrazy driving while talking on a cell phone. Max falls into an empty pool and can't get out. Fanny floods it with water while he's in there. |
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LanguagePretty mild: "Hell," "ass," "bullocks." |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorMax is greedy and selfish and will walk over anyone to get ahead. People hate him, and he relishes it. |
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CommercialismSanyo; Max relies heavily on his Treo. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoWine, drinking, and getting drunk figure prominently in the storyline. |
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