A Good Year (Region Free Blu-Ray) (Hong Kong Version) Chinese subtitled

Rating the movie itself. I watched on HBO via the Prime subscription.Rarely do I review movies, and when I do it's rarely because they're bad. This one is bad. Here is my review:Crowe's character is a jerk (nicely put) and wins the "very, very picky" woman over in one date by being continuing to be an @$$ to her. Wow. Rein check on that line of thought. Oh and she's obviously much younger than he is (and 11 years between the actors), but they were similarly aged kids at the same time who kissed cheeks once when they were 8 and still remember it. And then there's the weird 'illegitimate daughter who knows allll about wine' storyline and the creepy friend from London. And what was up with the rancid vs secretively amazing wine? We'll never know. To say the plot was all over the place would be nice. The vigneron was my favorite character - he was the one good bit of the movie. Otherwise this movie was atrocious. How did this get 4.5 stars???

I've seen this movie a couple of times now, and that's because the very first time there was just something about it that stuck with me. I'm a typical american woman who loves romantic moveis based in Europe, however this one wasn't too heavy on the love. Under the Tuscan Sun in a fave of mine but this one ranks high for differnt reasons. It's not a romantic story so much as a "come back and find your roots" story. Yes Crowe's character becomes a money hungry monster, however as much as he sees the chance to make more money he is surprised at the moments that sneak up on him and remind him of his childhood and his father figure all those years ago. Its a great story of a long lost son of France coming home and tripping on his ego a few times, but ultimately is enveloped in care from the people of his past and he remembers the kind of man he was raised to be.

It felt like it took a year to get through this movie and it wasn't a good year.It was a totally disjointed movie that wasn't helped by a few pretty faces and some beautiful scenery. I totally agree with another reviewer that is wondering what the story was with the mysterious good wine. That was the only part of the movie that grabbed my attention and I thought "now we're getting somewhere", only to have it never spoken of again.

This movie is delightful! I know, I know, it isn't exactly "Citizen Kane," but it offers two enjoyable hours of escape from Covid and all the divisiveness in society right now. Great photography, wonderful secondary characters and the transcendent Marion Cottillard - what's not to like? I recommend that you sit back in your easy chair, turn on your flat-screen and your Blu-ray player, and spend some quality time in a magical part of the world.

I was with my wife's family on a weekend away, when her sister said, "OK! Everyone in the T-V room to watch a movie I loved!" That was it for me. I begged off saying I was engrossed in my book. Any recommendations from my sister-in-law have universally been in the "You must be kidding!" range. An hour later, I ambled into the room and watched the last hour of A good Year. Then I borrowed it and watched it again at least ten times!I could tell you the entire story and the film would not be spoiled. But I'll be good and only tell you a little here and there and let you savor it as it develops. Russell Crowe plays Maximillian as an adult and Freddy Highmore plays him as a lad in Provence when he spends summers with his uncle, Albert Finney. As a grown up, Max is a London Bond trader and he makes money. As a boy, you watch him develop into the man. There are women to tempt the uncle; girls to tempt the boy; Wine to enamor them both and France for them to truly love.So this is a love story. It tells of Max's boyhood in which he is too young to know love; his manhood when he is too wrapped in money to understand love; and his survival when love is revealed to him in all its manifestations.Is it funny? Yes. Is it a bit over the top? Not for me! Were all the actors and actresses great? Without question. Did everyone love this film? Not by a long shot. Why not? They viewed it at a moment in their lives when the idea of love could not take them by the hair and shake them and say, "Look you fool! This is what it's all about!"It is what it's all about and getting to that realization makes for a wonderful film.Almost the last paragraph, I promise~! Maximillian the boy is playing chess with his uncle on the verandah of the chateau in Provence. The uncle goes into the house to get a bottle of wine and two glasses (Young Maximillian is perhaps 12 at this juncture. As the uncle fiddles just inside the house with the wine, Max gets the cigar his uncle has been smoking and sticks it in his mouth. He checks his uncle out in the house and readjusts the board when he sees that the uncle is busy. But the uncle has seen this bit of chicanery! He comes out with the wine and says to Max, "Tell me, Max. Have I ever told you why I love wine? It is because when you put it in your mouth it always tells you the truth. It cannot lie." And he goes on to elaborate on this theme. When he is through he asks: "Now Max. Now that I've told you why I love wine, is there anything you have to say to me?" Young Max looks at his uncle, smiles, moves a piece on the chess board and says, "Yes, uncle. Check mate!" And the uncle looks at him and the board and says, "You little sh_t!"There's more. Much more!

At first I had doubts about Russell Crowe taking a lead in a romantic comedy but but was I pleasantly surprised. This movie is an absolute sleeping beauty, a winner of a delightful passage in the gorgeous south of France.Bravura performances by Albert Finny in the flashback scenes of our hero's boyhood. Marvellous story, sharp and witty script, fluid movement, a romp from one end to the other. Most wonderful of all was Crowe who mixed the hard nosed investment fast lane type with a man coming to grips with life's real values so well, I wanted the movie to keep on and on and show us more how he settled into his paradise in the Louberon.All the supporting players were wonderful, but above all, I loved the cutbacks to Finney and the insights of how the boy became the man. This kind of wonderful character development is rare in most movies today. Kudos to the great Ridley Scott and writer Marc Klein for giving me a few hours to forget about the crappy world and remind me that there are places in today's world one can escape to and feel wonderfully human,even if it'ssitting watching a movie. Highly recommended! Vive Lamour!

Been waiting for a UK Blu-Ray version of A Good Year for years.Was browsing Amazon and stumbled across this Spanish release.After checking the info ordered it and just arrived and can confirm :-Region B playbackAudio in English (didn't have to change any settings)And most importantly cracking picture.This movie got pretty slated on release but always thought it was pretty good.Ridley Scott's shots of Provence are beautifully shot.Can relay recommend this Blu-Ray for a night in and has to be watched with a glass of red wine!Note - The film is based on the book, "A Good Year" by Peter Mayle who has Ridley Scott as a neighbour.It was Scott who suggested to Mayle, it would be a good idea to write a novel on an Englishman in a fish out of water comedy scenario.

Russell Crowe is unexpectedly good as a British stock market champion who has lost his soul to the God of money and greed. He inherits a Chateau in Provence, previously owned by an uncle whom he remembers with affection and with whom he holidayed when a boy. Russell Crowe initially intends to sell the Chateau to add to his fortune, but gradually and almost imperceptibly he falls in love with the Chateau, Provence, and the People. A delightful film made even better by the most imaginative choices of music - French, English and American - from his uncle's collection. Just listen to "The Wedding Samba" by Edmundo Ross, or Je Chante by Charles Trenet! Blew me away! The soundtrack album is still available and I would highly recommend it AND the film

Previous DVD overused until it almost died, so that says it all really, Excellent cast, good to see Russell Crowe in a comedy with an All's well that ends well , with a suitable smart one liner. Decent reminder of the versatility of Albert Finney as his uncle . too.

If you had the option of moving into a chateau that you have inherited in the South of France to run a vineyard that produces some crackingly good wine (and some pretty awful wine too) and surround yourself with beautiful people, wonderful scenery and fantastic weather OR work long hours in 'the City' surrounding yourself with grey cars, grey buildings and grey suited people, which would you choose?I suppose a heavy bonus with your enormous salary would be all that some people would hanker for but this film tells the story of just such a man who is a banker and initially he can't wait to get rid of his French inheritance but through time, events, memories and people help him to think things through more slowly. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with the Notaire, the actress is, I believe, related to Carla Bruni no less. Crowe convincingly letches at her and other women, including a possible cousin played by Abbie Cornish. I have to say I found her character dull and wooden but I am not a fan of her acting in any of her films.Regardless of his dreadful English accent Crowe plays his part with the humour it deserves and his scenes with Duflot are hilarious. Even Duflot's dog acts superbly! Watch the tennis match between Crowe and Duflot and count the insults they throw at each other. Superb.This is a typically sweet film showing France in all its glory which is exactly how Peter Mayle depicts it in his books. The film is just a funny, French v English comedy with some romance thrown in. How could anyone not like it?

I so love this movie. It has escapism right through it like the lettering in rock. It says it is based on 'A Year in Provence', but it is nothing like that story - well, except the escapism and France.Worthy of watching again and again.