With fine wine and fine wine investments being in the news of late, could a mockumentary on fine wine be far behind?
‘Corked!’ a shoe-string budget spoof documentary, ‘mockumentary’, was premiered at the Sonoma Valley Festival, drawing rave reviews. Another screening at the recent Cannes Film Festival in May also received positive reviews.
‘Corked!’ is a charming and hilarious tale of four wineries in Northern California. Written and directed by Ross Clendenen and Paul Hawley, wine industry insiders themselves, this documentary of interviews with vineyard owners, wine makers and marketing executives mocks their bloated egos and obsessive character as they strive to please the celebrity wine critic in order to win The Golden Harvest Award, the ultimate recognition.
Characters in the film include Jerry Hannon, the independent winemaker, and Donald Smythe, wine ambassador, Martina Finch, the surly, know-it-all lady sheriff, and a pair of knuckleheaded PR twits determined to tap into new markets. Special mention should be made of Todd Norris’ for his excellent performance as the vineyard manager who uses a high decibel bird scarer that often startles other unsavory interlopers.
This politically incorrect comedy is sure to provide a rollicking time as it lampoons wine snobbery, always a target rich environment.
Apart from the brilliant performance of the talented cast, there is some stunning vineyard footage straight out of Hawley Winery. Cinematographer/editor Miguel Medina has done a fantastic job.
The film was shot at many locations, including Simi Winery, Bella Vineyard and the Michel-Schlumberger estate.
The mockumentary is so well produced, a number of viewers will have difficulty believing this is just a fictional story. Even as it provides a good many laughs, it punctures the pomposity of wine snobs. Thanks to its ripe theme and smart dialogue, the 90 minutes spent watching it could be considered time well spent.
Tags: Fine wine investment