Live from the Mill Valley Film Festival Courtesy of Smith & Hawken, and the Mill Valley Film Festival, we were lucky enough to see Ridley Scott's new film, A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe. Now, the last time these two got together on the silver screen, we were treated to Gladiator. And, of course, Ridley Scott is simply legendary for screen gems like Blade Runner, Black Rain, Alien, Thelma & Louise, Black Hawk Down, and so many others. But if you were thinking this was Gladiator II, think again. This is what happens when Ridley Scott wants to make a romantic comedy. Yes, that's right, the premier action with a brain director has taken a turn to the lighter side, and, like his last attempt in this territory (Matchstick Men), it's a ride worth taking.

A bit of admission here: I am not usually a big film festival person, but Smith & Hawken was the sponsor, and the tickets were free, so we braved the late night of a Thursday in Corte Madera and lined up like star-struck fools. No, no stars, but a great crowd, and a surprisingly good film. Russell Crowe always amazes me: I don’t like him, yet he is almost mesmerizing in every role. Sure, we think of him as the boozing brawler of the tabloids, but this is the man who brought life to The Insider, gave Gladiator a heart, and played manic insanity in even the most inane of scripts (see Virtuosity). Still, I feared the worst: here's how the Mill Valley Film Festival described it:

"An ace in the high-powered world of London international banking, Max Skinner lives a life of greed, deals and money. But when he learns his beloved Uncle Henry has died, Max is forced to stand still for a moment. Henry has left Max his vineyard in Provence, France. Upon arrival, Max hopes for a quick resolution and, possibly, a nice profit. Yet his uncle's carefree legacy has seeped into soil of this enchanting estate, of which Max has so many memories, kept until now at a safe distance. He is faced head-on with Henry's stubborn winemaker, a beautiful French restaurateur and a plucky young American who claims to be Henry's long-lost daughter. Uncle Henry said that a good wine is incapable of lying; amid the vines, Max unwittingly searches for a truth that creeps upon him like the warmth of a rosé embracing you in the afternoon sun. — K. Kolton"

Based on that, I expected a typical "man with a heart of stone meets wonderful woman, surrounded by gorgeous landscape, and completely changes" story. Guess what? It is. But not the way you think. I thought Russell Crowe would have been a cold, distant heartless bastard; instead he embraces his role, with a passion and combination of determination and humor that is unbridled. For example, when this master of the universe is stuffed into a microscopic GM SMART car for his rental, he responds by roaring through the countryside, opening all windows and the roof, as he chortles at his own absurdity. When coming upon a large group of professional cyclists on the side of the road, he roars past, thrusting his middle finger above the car, and unabashedly roaring "Lance Armstrong!" at the top of his lungs.

I won’t spoil it, but it's a great film. Albert Finney is wonderful, as always, and the photography is magical. I've been spoiled by DVD's; I could clearly see where Ridley Scott made a cut in an earlier scene that he references at the end of the film (what was the connection to the Van Gogh?), but it definitely did not detract. And watch for Crowe's secretary in the film, the actress, Archie Punjabi, is fantastic.

I'd gladly raise a glass to any Ridley Scott film, and this one is no exception.  ¶ 1:50 AM