35/46
It was visible to the naked eye for around 260 days that year
Chronology
The story behind the Veuve Clicquot champagne family and business that began in the late 18th century.. The comet that Barbe Nicole mentions in his letters, and later uses as inspiration to name her Champagne brand, is The Great Comet of 1811, formally named C/1811 F1.
But in fact she passed away at 88
At the end of the movie it's stated that Barbe Nicole passed away at 89. Combining all of the elements that go into making a fine film and blending the various ingredients in just the right proportions is akin to the practice of crafting a fine wine – and quite an irony here given the subject matter of this engaging cinematic biography of Barbe Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot (1777-1866) (Haley Bennett), the French winemaker who became better known as "the Grand Dame of Champagne." Having inherited the business of her husband, François (Tom Sturridge), after this death, she vowed to continue operating the winery, carrying on his vision for innovation in the face of stiff competition from the rival Moet organization.
In telling this story, the filmmaker seamlessly blends challenging events of everyday operations with flashbacks of a more personal nature, exploring the heartfelt feelings that provided the basis for the Clicquot philosophy of winemaking
But doing so was quite the challenge in light of financial difficulties, vintage failures, the questionable business practices of competitors, the responsibility of raising a young daughter (Cecily Cleeve) as a single mother, onerous operating conditions during the Napoleonic Era and the profound doubts of others (most notably her skeptical sexist father-in-law, Philippe (Ben Miles)) about whether a woman could successfully run an organization like this. Director Thomas Napper's latest chronicles the Widow Clicquot's inventive efforts to address these issues, as well as her ambitious initiatives to live up to the dreams of her late husband, in large part with the assistance of her loyal distributor, Louis (Sam Riley).
However, much of this offering is evenly balanced, effectively holding viewer interest about a subject that's not especially common in the annals of filmmaking
The picture's superbly crafted narrative and screenplay, combined with exquisite period piece production values and excellent performances (particularly Bennett in one of her best on-screen portrayals), make for an involving, multifaceted watch. Admittedly, there are times in the second half where the story meanders somewhat, and some may find that this release gets a little too detailed when discussing the technical particulars of vinification.
And, if that's not worth drinking a toast to, I don't know what is
What's more, though, on a more philosophical level, this release celebrates the inherent joy and passion involved in the act of creating, ideas applicable to the manifestation of any artform, be it wine or painting or whatever else we're capable of envisioning and bringing into being.