Thomas Napper – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 19, 2024: WIDOW CLICQUOT

July 14, 2024 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, biopic, Cate Marquis, Champagne, Erin Dignam, Haley Bennett, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Napoleonic Wars, nell minow, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, Sam Reilly, Thomas Napper, Tom Sturridge, Veuve Clicquot, Widow Clicquot

If movies like Big Night and The Taste of Things leave you craving a fabulous meal, then Widow Clicquot is likely to send you scrambling for the nearest bottle of bubbly. Director Thomas Napper’s carefully observed historical biopic — which boasts a powerful performance by star Haley Bennett — tells the engrossing, wine-drenched tale of the birth of France’s world-famous Champagne label Veuve Clicquot in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In the end, you’ll likely want to raise a toast to those who brought this tale of a grande dame of history to life.

Reviews

WIDOW CLICQUOT – Review by Loren King

July 8, 2024July 13, 2024 Loren King biopic, Champagne, Erin Dignam, Haley Bennett, Napoleonic Wars, Sam Reilly, Thomas Napper, Tom Sturridge, Veuve Clicquot, Widow Clicquot

There will be no shortage of glass-raising cliches to describe “Widow Clicquot since it’s a delicious surprise and something to celebrate. Even champagne enthusiasts may not know that the popular brand Veuve Clicquot had this kind of fascinating backstory. Director Thomas Napper’s film is based on the true story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (Haley Bennett) and set in France during the Napoleonic Wars. Beautifully photographed in both stark, candlelit interiors and sumptuous sun-drenched vineyards, the story shifts back and forth in time starting with the death of young and innovative winemaking scion François Clicqquot (Tom Sturridge), leaving a young daughter and making her mother, Barbe-Nicole, a widow at 27.

Festivals Reviews

WIDOW CLICQUOT (TIFF 2023) – Review by Kat Sachs

September 18, 2023September 22, 2023 Kat Sachs Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, Caroline Champetier, Haley Bennet, Sam Riley, The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It, Thomas Napper, TIFF 2023, Tom Sturridge, Veuve Clicquot, Widow Clicquot

To be frank, a sexy period drama about the life, love and labor of one Widow Clicquot sounds like the stuff of a Drunk History sketch, in no small part because it centers on champagne production. Surprisingly, then, Widow Clicquot is a compelling and sleekly executed endeavor, as intriguing as it is sometimes platitudinous.