Few Champagne Problems

Like its title, Champagne Problems faces only minor qualms when it comes to criticism. Its major drawback—predictability—suits its romantic-comedy genre whose fans prefer not to watch serious conflict and issues. The tropes stand: A) an adorably attractive but single lonely young woman who B) meets an impossibly handsome man but C) instant attraction gets messed up due to miscommunication but D) Spoiler Alert—everything works out and they kiss at the end.  In between all those expected steps, Champagne Problems offers bubbly fun when the heroine goes to France on a mission to get a major wine producer to merge with the company she represents. After all, Paris loves cameras illuminating its City of Light status, especially during the story’s Christmas time setting. Similarly, the Champagne region of Épernay gleams with snow-covered seasonal beauty. The timing allows writer-director Mark Steven Johnson to put in his argument about whether or not Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie, blending a likeable mix of characters headed by Minka Kelly and Tom Woziczka. Johnson also provides a reasonable but not overdone number of facts detailing Champagne’s complicated wine-making process and resulting special qualities. Admittedly, I make an ideal target audience but perhaps not the most unbiased critic of a movie whose visuals include eye-appealing bubbles, their rising movement inspiring me to hit the pause button on my big screen. I then wandered into the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Champagne I bought in France that just happened to be lying around. It went quite well with the rest of the movie.