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THE MOVIE
If you go to California these days, it is difficult to avoid the fact that they make some fabulous wines. Indeed, the state is probably famous for two things: its film industry and its wine. For some, such as Francis Ford Coppola, these passions are combined. Yet this was not always the case, and just over thirty years ago it would not have been as possible for a Californian to build a wine empire. On 24 May 1976, Steven Spurrier - a British Wine seller based in France - organised a blind taste-testing between French and Californian chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon wines. Surprising everyone, the US wines did incredibly well and put American wines on the global map for the first time. This became known as the Judgment of Paris.
Bottle Shock is a dramatised account of the events surrounding the Judgment. Spurrier (Alan Rickman) travels to California, where a fateful meeting with Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) leads him to sample and appreciate the wines of the Napa Valley. This begins a crazy chain of hilarious events building up to the Judgment of Paris, and a victory that the film proclaims to change the course of wine history forever!
When adapting real-life to the cinema screen, one has to acknowledge that certain dramatic liberties are going to be taken. After all, if someone was to ever adapt my autobiography to the screen, there would be some really dull moments involving a couch and a whole lot of Tim Tams. The real-world Spurrier has claimed that the events depicted in the film are almost entirely fictional, and that this is by no means an accurate portrayal of the times. However, keeping in mind that film is a very different narrative to reality, then this should not matter if the film is entertaining. On that level, Bottle Shock succeeds nicely.
Bottle Shock is often a silly film, with Spurrier depicted as a bumbling, pompous toff. While this is no doubt the source of Spurrier's claims against the film, you couldn't ask for a finer bumbling, pompous toff than Alan Rickman. Indeed, the spirit of the film echoes the spirit of the times, when even US wine drinkers were all upper class, and wine drinking was not the recreational activity it is today. The carefree foolishness of our main characters is a stark contrast to the stuffiness of the British and French in the film. Stereotypes they may be, but this is often the language that biographies of an era must work with. The real main criticism to be made is of the sub-plots and B-stories. A love triangle is created between Star Trek's Chris Pine (playing the hippie-child of Bill Pullman's Barrett), Mexican foreman Freddy Rodriguez and Rachel Taylor as the sexy graduate student attracted to them both. Whether this love triangle existed or not, it was not necessary to make this already fascinating tale of the emergence of the California wine industry work.
While not all the fact boxes may be checked, there is still much to like about director Randall Scott's Bottle Shock. While never as witty as the sublime Sideways, this film was never intended to be as thematically deep as that Oscar-winner. It is a lighthearted journey through an event that is still considered controversial in wine circles today. Drink it with a glass in each hand and you'll be fine.
THE TRANSFER
Video:
There was a plan to do a whole thing about how rich and vibrant the colours were, and do an analogy that went way too far comparing the video to a fine wine. However, this is an excellent presentation that provide lots of rich colours, albeit a little bright at times. Ah, modern DVDs. We've come a long way since 1998.
Audio:
Two excellent tracks here, one in 5.1 and the other in 2.0. As one would gather from the subject matter, this is not one that will have explosions to rock your speakers, but it provides the soundtrack in the best possible presentation.
The Audio Descriptive track is also quite a nice touch, and good to hear a locally produced track on the disc as well.
THE EXTRAS
Slim pickings here. There are four Deleted Scenes (3:34), helpfully accompanied by title cards indicating where they would have fit in the final film. None of them add too much to the film, and an audio commentary from the director would have been nice.
The Chateau Montelena Winery Featurette (10:50) is more promotional featurette for the vineyard than it is about the film, but it does provide us with a look at some of the real people and processes behind the famous wine featured in the film.
There are also some preview trailers at the start of the disc (for Home for the Holidays; Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Synecdoche, New York).
SUMMARY
Bottle Shock, unlike the wine that it features, is not destined to win any awards. However, it does cover a very inmportant point for international wine-making, as it opened the world's taste buds to Californian, New Zealand, South African and of course, Australian wines. As a old-fashioned David and Goliath story for wine-lovers, this provides a perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon with a glass or four of chardonnay.
An excellent DVD presentation, albeit with a light selection of extras.
Recommended.
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