A GOOD YEAR (Ridley Scott). 118 minutes. Opens Friday (November 10). For venues and times, see Movies, page 145. Rating: NNN Rating: NNN
I do not share what seem to be the dreams of many of my contemporaries to retire to the Proven?al countryside or the Tuscan hills, as this would involve two activities that don’t interest me. I do not want to restore a 17th-century farmhouse, and I have no desire to write a book about restoring a 17th-century farmhouse. I don’t even like going to cottage country, which in my view starts a few blocks north of Eglinton.
A Good Year , directed by Ridley Scott from Peter Mayle ‘s novel, is about a character facing a difficult choice. Does he stay in London, where he’s a master of the financial universe, making mega-millions in the market, or does he move to the beautiful Provençal house and vineyard left to him by his beloved uncle, where he can survey Cezanne’s landscapes from his bedroom window and chase the local hotties? This is one of those dramatic crises, like being forced to choose between Halle Berry and Salma Hayek, that most of us will never encounter.
It’s ideal if you like boomer travel porn. French cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd makes the light and vistas of southeastern France look great, which isn’t exactly a challenge. Albert Finney blusters amusingly in the flashbacks, and Russell Crowe is perfectly convincing as an amoral financial shark who decides he wants to live in a big house in the country.
