A good movie normally has a plot that draws you in, characters you care about and performances that make you forget that these actors are actually acting. Well, A Good Year isn’t a good movie. The plot is predictable and plods along slowly. The characters are flat. And the performances are nothing to write home about. The movie was so dull that I was tempted to just go to sleep. The frustrating part is that had I fallen into a deep sleep whatever I dreamed of would have been more interesting than this.

Russell Crowe plays a bastard of a bond trader named Max Skinner. Max is one of those guys who would screw his mother over to make a quick buck. The problem is that he doesn’t have a mother or a father, they died when he was much younger, his Uncle Henry (Albert Finney) is the father figure Max remembers. As a young boy (played by Freddie Highmore), on his uncle’s vineyard in France, the older man tried to teach his nephew some core values while also teaching him to appreciate a good Bordeaux.

Max hasn’t seen his uncle in over a decade when he gets the news that the old man has died and Max has inherited his estate. An estate he plans on selling immediately. He returns to the estate for a day or two to sign the papers. While there, he finds out that he can stay a little longer because he’s been suspended pending an investigation of a big trade he’s made. That’s when he meets the girls. First is the love interest, a feisty French restaurateur named Fanny Chenal (Marion Cotillard). Then, there is Uncle Henry’s long-lost American daughter (Abbie Cornish) who could possibly contest the sale of the estate.

When you see what an ass Skinner is in the beginning, it’s obvious that some kind of character transplant will have to take place. When we see the meet-cute between Skinner and Fanny, we know where that’s going too. Let’s face it, most movies, especially romantic comedies are predictable, we know exactly where we are headed, but the point is to enjoy the ride. This ride was not enjoyable.

The script wasn’t funny. Almost every attempt at humor falls flat. I think the flashbacks were supposed to help us understand Skinner and empathize with him. Truthfully though, the only things the flashbacks prove are that Skinner was a jerk as a kid too.

Russell Crowe is a gifted actor; but he’s not a comedic actor. His scenes as the greedy Max Skinner work. I bought him as the charismatic and amoral bond trader but as he transforms into a kinder, gentler version of his Uncle, I couldn’t buy it.

And the pacing. Good Lord, the pacing!!! Not every movie needs to be an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. But if the pace is slower, then we need to delve deeper in the characters and let them move things forward. The characters here don’t do that and as a result, this movie feels like forever.

Scott did do an excellent job of capturing the beauty of the French wine country. So here’s my recommendation. Skip the movie and go get a good bottle of wine. It will be a lot more enjoyable.