Bottle Shock (2008)

Bottle Shock: Directed by Randall Miller. With Chris Pine, Hal B. Klein, Alan Rickman, Jean-Michel Richaud. The story of the early days of California wine making featuring the now infamous, blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as “Judgment of Paris”.

“America; home of the free, over-sized fast-food and trash TV—at least, thatu0026#39;s what most Europeans like to comfort themselves in thinking about their distant cousins. So who then would think, that in the 1970u0026#39;s, only two hundred years into the countries recent history, that this very same country would be the forefront of a wine movement that would change the industry as it was known at the time? Quite honestly, nobody did, except of course, those few American u0026quot;hicksu0026quot; who knew what they were doing regardless of their history and position within the sophisticated-snob wine culture of France. Bottle Shock then, with itu0026#39;s attempt at re-telling that story alongside plenty of character-play and drama, achieves in doing what it sets out to do by crafting an uplifting, re-affirming two hours balancing debatable fact with fiction. Itu0026#39;s an unassuming experience for sure; wine tasting and competition isnu0026#39;t exactly the mediumu0026#39;s foray when it comes to delivering attention grabbing excitement from your average audience. Yet when it comes to simply offering a modest, albeit compelling and engaging character story fit with tangible emotion and relativity, Bottle Shock isnu0026#39;t bad at all—in fact, itu0026#39;s really quite palatable indeed.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor all that the general history behind the true story of Bottle Shock, and all that it does for the movieu0026#39;s plot, there still remains a distinct impression here that such involvements are secondary to the elements that are really on show here. Following five characters as they each seek out their place in life, Randall Milleru0026#39;s feature here sticks to the opinion that story can define characters, but that characters define the audience. Taken on a purely ostensible level, Bottle Shock would be a tired, dry and unwelcoming approach to documenting a piece of history fit only for aficionados of the wine trade. Yet by balancing out the script and action with some wonderful character developments and relationships, Miller and his ensemble of writers manage to craft a story that excites and compels by its final act, but only because the first two invest heavily in making you feel for those involved in such a struggle. The result is a slowly paced, somewhat uneven venture, but one that does eventually pay off through its use of catharsis which utilises that empathy to full effect.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAesthetically speaking, the movie isnu0026#39;t all that bad either, gracing the screen with some wonderfully tranquil photography that constantly evokes wistful, whimsical emotions fit for the existential nature of the screenplay. Alongside the cinematography also lays the somewhat majestic, but grounded score penned by Mark Adler that manages to convey the same feelings provoked by Ozieru0026#39;s photography, creating a formidable, cohesive whole that really brings home the themes of the feature with poignancy.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUnfortunately, the same cannot wholly be said for the performances that at times can come off as a little disjointed and lazy. As a whole, the cast do well to keep things interesting, and bring at least a little flavour to their characters, but a common thread of awkward phrasing and timing too often breaks the illusion that Miller attempts to weave. That being said, the feature at least boasts a fine introduction for many to the talent of Chris Pine who shares the lead spot here with a coming-and-going Bill Pullman. Again, itu0026#39;s a timid performance fitting of the featureu0026#39;s rather small-time nature, but itu0026#39;s certainly an inviting and oft compelling portrayal that works on many levels and even helps bring out the better sides of Pullman who plays his father. As a leading man here, and indeed giving the movie its finest performance next to an ever-arresting Alan Rickman, Pine offers plenty of reason to believe the young actor has a bright future ahead of him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite all the good that the movie does however, there still remains a certain emptiness that resides within Bottle Shocku0026#39;s makeup. Itu0026#39;s a feature that uplifts, and engages while it exists on screen, and yet fails to achieve a lasting connection that stays long after the credits have rolled by. In its place exists a fond memory perhaps, but one that probably wonu0026#39;t be, and wonu0026#39;t need to be revisited again any time soon. In that respect, Bottle Shock achieves a firm hold on its immediate audiences, but differs from its subject by neglecting holes within narrative that would otherwise have filled in lasting impressions upon those very same viewers. Nevertheless, although lacking in a few important areas of taste and refinement, Bottle Shock still permits an enjoyable and rewarding two hours of fine character drama that uplifts and tugs at heart strings.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu003culu003eu003cliu003eA review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)u003c/liu003eu003c/ulu003e”