Bottle Shock

While this is probably not the intention of this movie, Bottle Shock makes me want to go to Nappa so badly it’s not even funny. It’s the entire reason that everytime I am in a wine store I look for wine from Cheatu Montelena. I’ve only found it once.

This movie is spectacular, joyous and unique. It makes me happy to be a Californian and an American and makes me want to learn about wine and it’s history.

I think the fact that this movie has pervasively wormed it’s way into my life like this speaks volumes for it’s quality. How many movies have done that to you that are just cheap & flashy?

Bottle Shock

Bottle Shock is one of my little gems from 2008. I adore this movie and pretty much any time I watch it I get happier. I know that the story is fictionalized but this is one of the best underdog stories I’ve seen on film and I’m still shocked as a American, a Californian especially that I hadn’t heard about this victory over France until it was made into a movie.

What I love about Bottle Shock is that it managed to be a film that is well crafted in all senses of the word. It’s an interesting story, a well written script, the cast and performances are impeccable, the production design & cinematography are beautiful – this is a film that is obviously crafted by a director and producers that have a passion for this story and this art and want to make sure they put the best possible story they can on screen. I get the impression that this is the kind of team I would want behind one of my movies, and that the experience would be a great one.

If you haven’t seen Bottle Shock I suggest that you grab a bottle of your favorite wine, invite a few friends over, pop in the DVD and enjoy what awaits you.

Maurice: Where I'm from, they call it a left-handed compliment. They don't have a name for it in England: it's too ingrained in their culture.

Bottle Shock

Bottle Shock 酒质受损
Originally uploaded by Daniel (Jiuwine.com)

My brother watched Bottle Shock after much prodding from me and loved it so much that he couldn’t stop talking about it. As such it made me itch to watch it again, but I know I’ve watched it too much lately. So I compromised – I watched it with commentary.

First of all, the commentary on Bottle Shock is amazing because it has the director and writers on it, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman and Eliza Dushku – the most important people to the film are all on there in one commentary track. That proves a lot, it proves they all liked the film enough to want to continue sharing it, and that they group got along well enough that they enjoyed their creative partnership.

What was fascinating about the commentary was learning how they had to grind down and make the decisions to get the movie made and how they had to deal with the living people this story is based on. What was most important to the filmmakers seems to be not just the Paris tasting itself, but getting the personalities and relationships of these characters captured accurately on screen. They may have changed situations and minor events for the purposes of making the story translate well to film, but they wanted to preserve the essence of the people just like someone adapting a book or play to film.

Bottle Shock fascinates me on every level. I hope that someday I can have just as great a reception to one of my films as Randall Miller and co. had to Bottle Shock. This film premiered to a standing ovation.

Jim: A comfortable grape, a well watered, well fertilized grape grows into an easy ingredient of a lousy wine.

Coming Soon

I fell behind again. I will catch up. Here's what reviews you can look for soon.

Bottle Shock

I enjoyed Bottle Shock so much I went out and bought it so I could enjoy it for a second time. I really did not expect to enjoy this movie as much as I did.

Watching the movie again I have to give credit to the actors, this is a movie that has a great cast supporting it and is a textbook example of how a good script turns into a highly enjoyable movie when given to a capable director and a talented cast. There is not one performance in this film that bothers me in the slightest – even in the bit parts. I watch Bottle Shock and believe that these characters could physically and emotionally exist in the time period in which the movie is set.

Also, I must give credit to Randall Miller. The setting of Bottle Shock is spectacular and beautiful and instead of letting this overrun the films visuals. I would love to find out if any of the film was shot in sets or if it was entirely on location because this is a Napa that I want to visit badly and I am not an outdoors kind of person.

I will be watching this movie again before too long because it’s the kind of film that is infectious. Watching it puts you in a good mood, makes you root for the underdog and cheer at any victory no matter how small. Bottle Shock is definitely an accomplishment.

Bo Barrett: It wasn't always like this. Before Paris, people didn't drink our wine. I mean, my friends did. But you could hardly consider their palates discerning... Hell, we were farmers... sort of...

Bottle Shock

In 1976 California vineyards weren’t taken too seriously much to the chagrin of winemakers like Jim and Bo Barrett at Chateau Montelena in the Napa Valley. In Paris, wine store owner Steven Spurrier’s business is failing due to the snobbery of French wine elite and the British-born Spurrier decides to convince the French wine academy to hold a blind tasting between French and California wines in order to bolster his business and improve his reputation. However, once Spurrier arrives in California to select the wines for competition he not only has to deal with the distrust of the local vineyards but somehow process the fact that these California wines are much better than he expected them to be.

Honestly, I knew nothing about Bottle Shock going in besides it made it into Sundance a year or two ago, and starred Chris Pine. I netflixed it because I was interested in seeing Chris Pine outside of Star Trek and Princess Diaries 2. I loved this movie. I have wanted to watch it a second time ever since I resealed the Netflix envelope.

Perhaps what surprised me is that the film is funny. I would not be surprised if it turns out that 90% of Bottle Shock is fiction but it’s so well written and about a unique enough event that I don’t care. Bottle Shock is a well made dramedy that mixes a lot of storylines together to complete one meaningful, thought out film that had a lot less attention than it deserved. The cast in the film is superb, made of mostly unknowns at the time and added some credibility with the talents of Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman & a bit part by Dennis Farina.

It was a bit startling to watch Chris Pine, now known as the rebellious but clean cut Capt. Kirk as a long haired, lazy, hippie. Pine and Pullman play the main roles as father and son and manage to have a very good chemistry together and are a good representation of father and son. Bottle Shock is a period piece even if it isn’t set too many centuries back, and director Randall Miller managed to encapsulate the generational disparities very well using Jim (Pullman) and Bo (Pine) to show this most profoundly and in a very relatable way.

I have to compliment Miller on Bottle Shock. Call me a bad Californian, a bad American, or just too young but I never knew about the Judgment in Paris before this film; I don’t think I would have cared if I had read about it in a text book or on the back of a wine bottle. However, Bottle Shock is a dang entertaining and well made film that has me desiring to find a bottle of the Cheateau Montelena chardonnay, learn more about wine, and visit the Napa Valley. I think that’s probably an earmark of a good film.

Director: Randall Miller
Writers: Jody Savin, Randall Miller & Ross Schwartz
Bo Barrett: Chris Pine
Steven Spurrier: Alan Rickman
Jim Barrett: Bill Pullman
Sam: Rachel Taylor
Gustavo Brambila: Freddy Rodriguez
Maurice: Dennis Farina
Joe: Eliza Dushku

Jim Barrett: Why don't I like you?
Steven Spurrier: Because you think I'm an arsehole. And I'm not, really. I'm just British and, well... you're not.