Christine Sams
The Sun-Herald November 5, 2006 Pic Caption: CHANGE
OF PACE: Russell Crowe in his latest release
PREVIEW A Good Year
Only a Russell
Crowe event would feature a colourful mix of the following
people: his parents Alex and Jocelyn
Crowe (who flew in from the North Coast), his father-in-law Don
Spencer, friend and business partner Peter
Holmes a Court and a smattering of footy players from
the Rabbitohs.
The reason was the first private screening of Crowe's new
film A Good Year, which opens on Thursday. The movie centres
on the story of Max Skinner, a money-hungry English financier
who inherits his uncle's French estate. It takes Skinner back
to the location where he spent a happy childhood with his uncle
Henry (Albert Finney).
Although as an adult Max is keen to sell the estate immediately
- detachment is his specialty - the film follows the story of
a personal and geographical rediscovery. (It was a sweet touch
within the film, directed by Gladiator's Ridley Scott,
that Crowe has gone from playing Maximus to Maximillian.)
On screen, it was refreshing to see Crowe in a different kind
of role with real touches of humour, romance and family drama.
It's not the deepest role of Crowe's career, but the message
is an important one: about recognising the true value of people
closest to you, not to mention life's greatest pleasures - love,
food and family. Frankly, it was the sort of film that makes
you want to toss your mobile phone out the window. (Which was
kind of ironic, given the only mega-rich businessman in the room,
Holmes a Court, seemed a little edgy about not being .able to
check his text messages)
Abbie Cornish is luminous on screen, with
a much larger role than expected as Skinner's cousin. Although
she's the talk of Hollywood for her close friendship with Ryan
Phillippe (who has separated from his wife Reese
Witherspoon), this role maybe Cornish' s US breakthrough. |