ParkBench, Come Sit With Me

A typical "re-finding the true meaning of life" kind of movie. A feel good romantic story with a backdrop of scenery setting of a vineyard in Provence, France.

Nothing outstanding in the story plot. A Good Year is about an insensitive money oriented investment banker from London (Russell Crowe) who inherited a vineyard in Provence from a dead uncle who had raised him and where Crowe had spent his childhood.

Of course upon getting his inheritance the first thing that come to his mind is selling the place to the highest bidder. The plan on short visit 'get in and get out' trip to the vineyard to sort out legal paper works turned out to be extended due to what else, a beautiful Bistro owner played by Marion Cotillard who herself had previous misfortune experience with men.

The untrusted cut-throat London stock broker and the suspicious, guarded, stubborn bistro owner sparked a chemistry once they realized that what the heart felt is what really mattered at the end. Like one of the most memorable quotes from the movie "...everything mature, eventually".

Well they both did.

The romantic drama had an up beat cheerful feeling from a touch of comedy in the plot. It was fun to watch the like of Crowe played a character like we usually saw from Hugh Grant. I guess that added a bonus in watching him played his character.

Again, the moral of the story is a lesson we have heard a million times before. But I guess, I never got tired of it because it's so true. At the end of the day it's about appreciating the simple things in life and the spirit of love offered by those who cared about you is what really matters.

It's all come down to a reminder of what is sometimes forgotten during the pursue of our hectic hedonist life and another quote describe this very well "....sometimes it takes a change of scenery to have a change of heart".

What the beautiful Cotillard's said to Crowe during their first dinner together "There's something you should know about me, Max. I'm very, very choosy... I'm also very, very suspicious; very, very irrational, and I have a very, very short temper. I'm also extremely jealous and slow to forgive. Just so you know". That quote and the ending scene of the two of them having an outdoor lunch in the front yard overlooking the vineyard for me packaged the whole story with charm and romanticism.

Or it could only be because of the state of mind I was in at the time of watching this movie. All I know is I enjoyed it more than enough to led me to write about it now.