Director Thomas Napper unfolds a tragic heartbreaking love story while showing how a defiant young woman took control of a failing family business and her shattered life through renewed passion and purpose. Her achievements established Veuve Clicquot as one of the finest luxury brands, which was founded by her father-in-law, Philippe, in Their fathers were in the textile business in Reims, France, and arranged the union in , when she was The screenplay by Erin Dignam, based on a story by Christopher Monger, keeps an air of mystery through flashbacks as to the bright comet that was Francois, and how his influence helped Barbe-Nicole work through her grief and loss.
Don't Miss Wine Spectator's NY Wine Experience! See the seminar lineup and register for the full weekend package, Oct. Opening in more than theaters nationwide today, Widow Clicquot is based on the book of the same name by Tilar Mazzeo , published in Devotees of Jane Campion and arthouse period romance films will have much to savor in this Champagne legend biopic with a trailblazing feminist protagonist and the swoon-worthy performance of Riley as Bohne.
At 20, she Haley Bennett married the descendant of a winemaking family. Though their marriage was arranged, a timeless love blossomed between Barbe-Nicole and her poetic, unconventional and erratic husband, François Tom Sturridge. Determined to advance her husband's theories about soil chemistry, the configuring of vines and revolutionary techniques in bottling, Barbe-Nicole wagers on the next harvest and her own blend of sparkling wine. Challenged by the capriciousness of the seasons, the aggressive competitor Monsieur Moët and the Napoleonic Code of barring women from running businesses, the elegant and luminous widow must succeed or lose everything.
It is there for weddings and graduations, anniversaries and new jobs, shimmering and effervescent in glasses raised in the air. Synonymous with celebration and luxury, it is harder to find a more highly regarded drink, or one with as storied a history. Yet among all the old and renowned champagne houses of France, one stands above the rest. So much so, that when we think of champagne in general, the regal gold label of this particular brand comes to mind.