Mondovino (2004)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Jonathan Nossiter

Writer:

Jonathan Nossiter (writer)

Release Date:

3 November 2004 (Belgium)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A documentary on the impact of globalization on the world's different wine regions.

Plot Keywords:

Wine | Globalization | Agriculture | Big Business | Vineyard

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Albiera Antinori	...	Herself
Allegra Antinori	...	Herself
Lodovico Antinori	...	Himself
Piero Antinori	...	Himself
Isanette Bianchetti	...	Herself
Jean-Charles Boisset	...	Himself
Marchioness Bona	...	Herself
Michael Broadbent	...	Himself
Antonio Cabezas	...	Himself
Battista Columbu	...	Herself
Lina Columbu	...	Herself
Xavier de Eizaguirre	...	Himself
Alix de Montille	...	Herself
Etienne de Montille	...	Himself
Hubert de Montille	...	Himself
Arnaldo Etchart	...	Himself (grandfather)
Marco Etchart	...	Himself
Salvatore Ferragamo	...	Himself
Marquis Dino Frescobaldi	...	Himself
Aime Guibert	...	Himself
Bill Harlan	...	Himself
Yvonne Hegoburu	...	Herself
Patrick Léon	...	Himself
Bernard Magrez	...	Himself
Margrit Mondavi	...	Herself
Michael Mondavi	...	Himself
Robert Mondavi	...	Himself
Tim Mondavi	...	Himself
Jonathan Nossiter	...	Himself
Robert Parker	...	Himself
Michel Rolland	...	Himself
Neal Rosenthal	...	Himself
James Suckling	...	Himself
Inaldo Tedesco	...	Himself
Jean-Luc Thunevin	...	Himself
Massimo Vinci	...	Himself
Patrizia Vinci	...	Herself
Marquis Vittorio	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Mondovino (Argentina)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief pin-up nudity.

Runtime:

135 min | France:159 min

Country:

Argentina | France | Italy | USA

Language:

English | French | Italian | Spanish | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Spain:T | Argentina:Atp | UK:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG | Netherlands:AL | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:Livre

Company:

Diaphana Films

The incorruptibles of the wine business

Business vs. personal conviction. Profit vs. art.

As with any documentary that pits the capitalist large corporations against the small producer, the viewer will invariably have to take the side of one or the other based on their own believes. This is as much a documentary of the new standardized way of doing things that globalization is bringing us, against the old traditional ways where character and the art of making things matters almost more than getting the product sold.

If you have to remember one thing from this movie, it is that the masses can no longer decide by themselves, they just follow the taste of one or a couple of critics that tend to equalize and standardize taste in the same way as MacDonalds used to do for the fast bite (something Parker himself admits to in the film against a backdrop of a Burger King sign). "It is all about image" against content as another interviewee says. That is the easy way, the standardized way. Easier than taking the time for a nice wine to mature, easier than to forge your own taste by trying and trying yet over again. Controlled branded taste is easier.

There is a glitter of hope when even some of our cousins across the ocean agree that a few people are "levelling" the taste of wines to maximize the profits and ensure a maximum of it gets sold to the "grey masses". Individuality and difference is sacrificed for the extra buck. It is nice to see that not everything or everyone is giving in to standardization, even across the ocean.

As in many other areas of today's world, dominance of a few and reduced freedom of choice impacts us all... let everyone make up their mind and decide what to go for. Too much standardization kills the mind and taste; difference brings innovation and healthy competition and will allow for choice - and not just vacuum-packed "more of the same". Standardization sells easily and a lot, and brings everyone to the same level - the lower one.

On this, I am going to open up a nice bottle and wish you a hearthy "sante".