There are some films that you just watch over and over. Almost every visitor that stays with us wants to visit Château La Canorgue, the organic father and daughter winery, just up the ‘hill’, tucked within the shadows of the beautiful perched village of Bonnieux. Château La Canorgue is where the Ridley Scott directed, Peter Mayle movie, ‘A Good Year’ was filmed.
When you visit Château La Canorgue, it appears that all they changed for the film was the château’s name, to Château La Siroque. As you stand by the vines and look up at the magnificent property it looks just as it did in the film, warm and inviting ‘aged to a soft patina’. You can hear Monsieur Duflot humming to himself behind you, as he lovingly tends the vines and Uncle Henry, muttering to the young Max about his next chess move. It is the closest I’ve ever got to actually stepping straight into a movie, and just 8 miles from where I am living in Lourmarin.
The movie itself has a timeless, ‘feel good’ factor. True, it is set in one of the most visually stunning parts of the world, a cinematographer’s dream and they do an entrancing job. The natural Provencal light, so beguiling and inspiring to so many artists, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Cézanne, is all consuming, along with the striking ‘campagne’, richly abundant with its vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees. The charming medieval villages perchés are well featured.
Bonnieux
Gordes
where the star of the film, Max, (Russell Crowe), circles the memorial in the center of town, several times, in his ‘little yellow car’ before meeting the Notaire!
Hôtel le Renaissance, Fanny’s (Marion Cotillard) cafe, also in Gordes.
Cucuron
And then finally that matter of fact French attitude, the shrug and the ‘poof’, which is perfectly encapsulated by Fanny whilst she and Max were watching the film by the water.
Comedy, romance, beauty, maybe not oscar winning, but it is heart warming and delightful, with that special ‘je ne sais quoi’.
There is also a deeper, rather profound part to this tale. For set against the backdrop of beauty that characterizes Provence, The Luberon in particular, this story is about someone ‘finding’ themselves. Someone abandoning what they thought was of prime importance to them, their raison d’être. In this case, greed and power, the pursuit of gain, a world of grand excess, of dubious morals, where no-one can have too much material wealth and ‘winning is the only thing’.
The dawning of this realization, for Max, is a gradual re-acquaintance, an adult coming to understand the soul of a much cherished place from childhood. For me the film’s most stirring line is when Max explains to the new love of his life, the gorgeous Fanny, why he needs to return to his mercenary, somewhat unscrupulous life in London; “This place doesn’t fit into my life” he states sadly, but Fanny swiftly responds “No Max, it is your life that does not fit into this place”.
For how can a life based almost entirely on gain fit into a world where the only important appointment of the day is lunch? Where people stop to smell the lavender, where few people are rushing, where values are deeply rooted and solid, where time has almost stood still.
It begs the bigger question, ‘what is life all about?’ Something that Max ends up asking himself. He is among the fortunate few who firstly, stops to ask himself this big ‘life question’ and secondly is also able to make a choice; choosing between a life in London, where he could easily afford to buy two or maybe three, original Van-Goughs but probably, due to their priceless value, never actually see them, being forced to have them permanently locked away. Or, he could choose a new life, a different life, amongst the very beauty which inspired the artists, almost like being able to step into a painting.
Yes, I am sentimental, I know few of us can just abandon our well established lives and move to Provence. Careers, children, family commitments and the general ‘stuff of life’ stand before most of us like insurmountable road blocks. And Max was hardly ‘giving it all up’. He had inherited a stunning château, a thriving boutique vineyard and fallen in love with a ‘French Goddess’. This, after all is a Hollywood movie!
Yet those words of Fanny’s remain imprinted in my heart “….it is your life that does not fit into this place”. For what is ‘our life’? Are we really living the life we want, in the place we want to be? What can each of us do to find what will make our own life as authentic and special as it should be? If you search carefully I bet you have more choice than you know!
Thank you for a wonderful review and sharing the location details. I love this movie and now I m an organic farmer in small village in Southern India. 🙂
Great to hear from you, India seems along way from Provence and I am sure is very different. I would love to visit your country. Have you been to Provence, hope my blog inspires you to go there and to follow Shutters and Sunflowers!
Thanks for all the information provided in your blog ! We are now in provence and have been almost everywhere you mentioned . We loved it all ! Right now we are sat in cucuron, with a beer in hand cheering for you! Thank you Caroline!
So happy that you have enjoyed your time in Provence and that my suggestions were helpful!Do pass on my blog as you enjoyed it, I always love to have new followers!!
My favourite film of all time, I love everything about it. The well chosen actors, the topic and stories within it and most importantly, the place!! It is a dream to take my wife there and as you say, “Step into the film”. I haven’t managed this as yet, but I am newly reinvigorated to make this happen. Thank you for such a lovely article Caroline. Kind regards.
Hi Craig
Thanks for reaching out I’m so happy you found my article and enjoyed it, yes it’s the best film in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Since I wrote that post we have bought a house nearby, if you do plan a trip I’d be happy to help you!!
Best Caroline