Bottle Shock

Robert Hammerle

August 19, 2008 by Robert Hammerle

0 votes

"C-" Rating by Robert W. Hammerle

Pretentious, smug and far too self-satisfied, "Bottle Shock" was a profound disappointment. Despite the presence of the great Alan Rickman, "Bottle Shock" feels as if the California wine industry wrote a love letter to itself.

Based on an historic wine tasting competition in Paris in 1976 when California wines first earned recognition on the international stage, it is not an exaggeration to say that this movie begins slowly and then loses momentum. Bill Pullman plays the owner of an independent winery who does little more than grouse and beat-up his son in boxing matches. Chris Pine plays his shiftless, longhaired son while doing an Axl Rose impression. Rachel Taylor is suppose to be a summer intern who looks like she stepped out of the "Dukes of Hazzard" without their moral standards.

I'm willing to bet that you can guess the plot already. Small, cash strapped winery run by dysfunctional family finds success on the international stage where everybody hugs and breaks out in a rousing chorus of Kumbaya. Oops, I gave away the ending! Rest assured, it doesn't matter.

The only thing that this conceited little film has going for itself is its beautiful scenery. Beyond that, it is truly as emotionally shallow as a child's wading pool.

How many times can a car breakdown in one movie? In this case the answer is three. How many times can a film steal scenes from old classic movies hoping that the audience will be too young to notice? In this case the answer is two. The first is a scene where Taylor is trying to wash down a piece of machinery, getting herself soaking wet in the process while the men sit and ogle her. For you film fans, think of the scene where George Kennedy, Paul Newman and the chain-gang are watching the scantily clad, trailer trash young woman wash her car in the great "Cool Hand Luke" (1967).

Next, pay attention to the scene where Pine and Taylor are forced to hitchhike after their truck runs out of gas. When no one will stop despite Pine's repeated attempts, Taylor jumps in the road and pulls up her blouse, causing a car to immediately come to a halt. Though the scene is tawdry enough standing by itself, go rent the Oscar winning "It Happened One Night" (1934), and look for the scene where Claudette Colbert uses her legs to get a ride when Clark Gable's thumb would not do the trick. Subtle, yet it works.

Alan Rickman, as the snobby Brit wine connoisseur who inspires the international competition, is the only saving grace in this movie. Freddy Rodriguez brings a bit of authentic passion to a film notable for lacking any as the son of a migrant worker who is trying to start a small winery of his own. But those performances by two fine actors can't bail fast enough to keep this woeful ship from sinking under its own weight.

Shortly before his death in October 10, 1985, the great Orson Wells became a spokesman for the wine industry as a result of becoming too obese and lethargic to continue acting. He was famous for uttering the phrase, "There shall be no wine before its time." In "Bottle Shock," something clearly went wrong with the fermentation process. Regardless, if you want a great movie about wine, go watch "Sideways" (2004) again and leave "Bottle Shock" on the shelf.

Forum: Movies

Tags: 

Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Rachel Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez, Dennis Farina, Orson Wells, Sideways, California Wines, drama

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