Vintner's Luck
DVD starring Jérémie Renier and Keisha Castle-Hughes

Category: romance


'Sex, lust, wine and angels are mere facets of Niki Caro’s lush and sensuous period drama "The Vintner’s Luck". Set in early 19th century France at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, the picture centres around Sobran Jodeau (Jérémie Renier). Sobran is a young peasant who hungers for two things in life: to win the hand of the beautiful Celeste (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and to create wine in his own vineyard'. reports Paul Fischer in his Toronto review. There's drama, fantasy and romance here, mainly set in Burgundy. For more on the story and the making of the film on location ...

Chocolat
DVD starring Juliette Binoche

Category: easy viewing

Adapted from Joanne Harris’ novel, this charming film tells of Vianne Rocher and her daughter who arrive at a small village where she opens a luxuriant chocolate shop full of temptations.

The shop is opposite the church and it is Lent. The story tells of the village people, their secrets and troubles, their loves and desires. Filmed at the medieval village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, this is delightful viewing.
www.amazon.co.uk

Asterix
DVD

Category: cartoons

Based on Vercingétorix and the battles between the Gauls and Romans at Alésia, the adventures continue with the latest addition launched August 2005, Asterix & Obelix - Mission Cleopatra.

One of the most popular titles is Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar.

Mondovino

First thrust into the limelight at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004
Jonathan Nossiter’s film Mondovino presents an enlightening look
at the world wide wine industry today.

The cast is made up of real life people, the great and the good of the wine world who in a series of intercut interviews give us their views. There is the smooth Michel Rolland, the international wine consultant, responsible for ’finessing’ wines in his laboratory. There is the charming Hubert de Montille and his family, illustrating the approach of the different generations in Burgundy. Then there is the phenomenon of Robert Parker the wine critic. And central to the whole theme is the huge corporation Mondavi, presented as ‘the deadly spider at the centre of the wine industry’s increasingly global web.’ They tried to buy land in Languedoc, and when this failed they succeeded in Italy instead.

To anyone interested in wine, the content is fascinating. Nossiter’s approach shows many amusing and apparently unguarded moments, lightened by the witty inclusion of the owners’ dogs.