Small indie films with little more to their credit than recognizable faces are a dime a dozen nowadays, and sifting through the masses to find a diamond in the rough could take forever, especially if you’re picky. Somewhere in between the true gems and the lumps of coal, you’ll find a variety of comedies and dramas ranging in quality because of shortcomings in direction, writing, or acting. The Chateau Meroux is one such film; it’s a film about wine that really has nothing to do with wine save for using it as a frame to tell a sappy love story about two ladies who accidentally fall into the vintner business. The lightweight dramedy is never too impressive when it comes to performances or its story, but it’s a likeable and unthreatening film that’s never bad enough to turn off, and just good enough to watch all the way through without feeling like a chore.
After Wendy (Marla Sokoloff) inherits a winery from her recently deceased father, she and her best friend Jennifer (Amanda Righetti) have to decide whether or not they’ll stay on and run the business or sell it to a local, slimy competitor (Christopher Lloyd). Thanks to the help of the hired hand Romario (Daniel Bastreghi) and Chris (Barry Watson), a young man who seems to know a lot about wine blends, the girls relaunch the business only to fall victim to sabotage, betrayal, and the tolls of romance. Can they create a new brand to compete in the contest for a distribution deal? Or will Wendy’s family business finally be corked?
If you guessed there was a happy ending, then you can also guess most of the twists and turns before they show up on screen. As harmless as it is, The Chateau Meroux has no surprises up its sleeves, making it one of those films where you shut off your brain and accept the poorly executed banter and flirting as a casualty of poor direction and let it slide. The Chateau Meroux will endear itself to the more indulgent viewers, but for everyone else it’s far too saccharine.
DVD Bonus Features
"The Chateau Meroux" is on sale January 3, 2012 and is rated PG13. Romance. Directed by Bob Fugger. Written by Adam Morrison. Starring Amanda Righetti, Barry Watson, Christopher Lloyd, Marla Sokoloff, Daniel Bastreghi.
