What a crap movie you are.
The Vintner's Luck. I was really looking forward to this movie. But then I read all the bad reviews.
That's why I've been putting off watching it, even though I've had the DVD for some months now. I was just thinking "I am going to be so disappointed in this, it could ruin the book for me. Forever."
I only read the book for the first time last year and I think I've read it about three times since. The pages are all dogeared because I'd like to re-read certain passages. And that's all very unusual for me!
It's set in France. That's a plus. It has a LGBT-ish theme. Another plus. But the best thing about it is the complexity I think. It was nice to see it written so well, how difficult it is to separate "polar opposites" such as good and evil/Heaven and Hell/pain and pleasure.
I had so many issues with how the movie turned out.
1. NZ author. NZ director. Shot partially in NZ. OK.
But. Set in France. French/Belge leads. Shot partially in France and Belgium. It's about love and wine FFS! It should've been a French and French language production.
2. Movie drew the lines too distinct between the lovers. When it really wasn't. It was firmly a physical love Sobran had for Celeste, a intellectual one with the baroness and a spiritual one with Xas.
3. Didn't like the casting for Celeste
4. Where the fuck was the God/Lucifer... everything! I mean, that was such an integral part to the novel. ARGH!
5. The cutting of the wings. So much fail. I didn't feel anything for Xas when it happened in the film. I bawled when I read it.
6. It's a drama story but why cut out ALL the banter between the characters (in particular between Sobran and Xas). They had so many good lines in the book.
And finally,
7. Sobran and Xas' "sex" scene? OMGLOL. I didn't even know if it happened? What kind of shit was that supposed to be???
Good parts?
1. Gaspard Ulliel
2. Jérémie Renier
3. Removing breast cancer scene (the horror lover in me)
4. Amazing scenery
5. Soundtrack was fitting