Champagne Problems

S

Synopsis:  An American woman goes to Paris on business and meets a charming Frenchman at a bookstore.

First off, nice job with the title. Naming a movie after a great Taylor Swift song is a good start. And, although this is a holiday rom-com, they kept things dignified by not expanding on the title with something like: Champagne Problems at Christmas-time in Paris.

Minka Kelly is Sydney, an exec at an acquisitions group. Ms. Kelly got her start on Friday Night Lights and she’s been trapped on Euphoria for a while now. It’s nice to see her in something light with not a high schooler in sight.

Sydney is going to Paris to close a deal, the acquisition of a financially faltering vineyard. Her boss is impressed with her work but is concerned that she isn’t ruthless. Her rival is some oily guy who wants to steal her deal.

As Sydney packs for Paris her little sister Sky (Maeve Courtier-Lilley) makes her promise that she will take a break from her workaholic ways and spend one night out in the city.

Once in Paris, Sydney checks into the hotel. The reception staff are eager to engage in conversation with her –quite un-French. Maybe they think she has extra World Cup tickets.

But does Sydney go out and explore Paris that night?  No, even though Paris is wrapped in all its glittery Christmas finery. Sydney sits at her laptop absorbed in her work while the Eiffel Tower shimmers outside her window. Then she remembers her promise to Sky. 

Sydney heads out into the city. She doesn’t do something normal like strolling the Champs-Élysée to see its white light festooned trees. Instead, she pops into a bookstore because her night’s mission is to find some self-help books. But she can’t find the book in the department store-size librairie. She asks a man who is straightening books for help finding the right section. He happens to be gorgeous. Bien sûr.

The man leads her to the self-help section. He shyly admits that he doesn’t work at the store. Embarrassed, Sydney apologizes for her mistake. The Gallic beau introduces himself as Henri (Tom Wozniczka). She then leans into American stereotypes by telling this complete stranger her life story.

He asks if he could s’il vous plaît  show her the sights of Paris. This is not a surprise because she is engaging and gorgeous. He doesn’t come off as a creep and he’s fit, so ‘yes’ it is. I was glad because I wanted to see the Christmas markets myself. Yes, Syd, order that crêpe, drink that gluhwein!

Like every other rom-com heroine, she’s somewhat reluctantly single, but is happy enough because she’s killing it career-wise. Henri is a dreamer but gainfully employed. He wishes that his father respected his dream of opening a bookstore. He tells Sydney how his literary journey began with his maman reading him Le Petit Prince. We understand that he is a sensitive man. I thought that Sydney should go to bed with him.  But Sydney is in town for work…

Sydney had such a magical evening with Henri that she slept in–Aargh! Late for the meeting. Oh no, she has to literally run to the meeting. When she gets to the vinter’s office everyone else is already there. But I know this will be okay, because the seller, Hugo Cassell, is played by Thibault de Montalembert who is affable and unflappable as a talent agent in the great French series, Dix pour cent (Call My Agent!). Here he is also affable and unflappable. He is also the father of… I know you can guess who.

When a stunned Sydney sees Henri at the conference table, his idea of a bookstore with a wine bar makes perfect sense. She takes a seat among the other bidders: Brigitte (Astrid Whettnall), a forbidding middle-aged Frenchwoman, Otto (Flula Borg), an eccentric German man and Roberto (Sean Amsing), a wacky bon vivant. 

Quickly regaining her composure, Sydney makes her pitch. Henri protests that it sounds like her company will not respect their sacred bottles of vin and just squeeze the vineyard for profits. Zut alors ... there was so much romantic heat between them just the night before.

The boss cannot decide on a buyer. He announces that they will all accompany him back to his vineyard and stay at his Château Cassell.

The castle and grounds are spectacular. Once everyone is gathered together, including Sydney and Henri, Hugo says there will be a contest to help him decide to whom he should sell. There will be grape picking and the turning of wine bottles! All of which shows a shocking lack of business acumen on Hugo’s part. No wonder the place is going under with this guy in charge. 

One morning over the next few days he asks Sydney to take a walk with him. Instead of asking trenchant questions about the company she works for, he talks about how sad it is to be a widower. Poor Sydney must be mystified as to what the hell she can do to close the deal.

Although Henri is now wary of Sydney, he is cordial. They bond over chasing after his cute doggo, a West Highland White terrier named Bulles (Maguy) who is always bounding after rabbits. They go to the Habits de Lumière in nearby Épernay. It’s a decidedly European festival, with over-sized illuminated soft-form sculptures and designs made of cascades of lights.  Even with stressful business by day, the frosty nights have romance in the air.

But remember Sydney’s rival? He’s still looking to shake up her deal. And one of Sydney’s competitors on-the-scene may not be playing fair. Should Sydney take her sister’s advice and actually try to enjoy life a little? How about Henri? He’s not interested in multi-million-euro deals; he just wants a cozy place where people can read Le Petit Prince over a glass of wine.

The people at Netflix were not fools when it came to buying Champagne Problems.  They know that we want love and celebration for the holidays. And, in the case of Champagne Problems, prosperity and happiness for Sydney and Henri in the New Year. Go ahead and indulge your rom-com cravings.

Movie Loon’s Movie Review Shortcut:

Grade:   B-

Cut to the Chase:  Paris & good-hearted attractive leads. The humor is better than average.

Humor Highlight:  Several of the bidders debate whether Die Hard is a holiday movie. Sydney votes, no : “They blew up Nakatomi Towers!”