Tom Wozniczka as Henri Cassell and Minka Kelly as Sydney Price in “Champagne Problems.”
(Mika Cotellon / Netflix)
Stuck at home this Christmas, but dreaming of France? Then pour yourself a nice glass of bubbly, grab a cozy blanket and watch Kelly in this effervescent escape that I want to retitle “Minka in Paris.”
Kelly portrays Sydney Price, an ambitious, American executive angling to acquire Chateau Cassell, an esteemed Champagne house in the French countryside. The night before her big pitch, she visits a twinkle-lit bookstore and meet-cutes Henri Cassell (Tom Wozniczka), a soulful poet type who invites her to walk through the City of Light with him. One thing leads to another, and lo and behold, she discovers that his family owns the vineyard that she wants to claim for her company.
Cue the hijinks. The hurt feelings. The loving stares. The luxe interiors that seem designed by Nancy Meyers. Though Kelly is not nearly as funny as Cameron Diaz in “The Holiday,” she’s a leading lady both radiant and relatable. Her co-star, Sean Amsing, provides plenty of comic relief as Roberto, a bon vivant who says things like, “Everything I know about France, I learned from ‘Ratatouille.’”
I can imagine hearing that joke at a party. Come to think of it, that’s what the movie feels like: A fun, fizzy party — and we’re all on the guest list.
