Bottle Shock was a fun little ride. Certainly not without faults, but the predictable payoff was fun and the film wrapped up in a nice way. It's not quite the laugh-out-loud comedy the previews have tried to build it up to be, but this little film has heart, and though alone that can't carry it to greatness, it does make for an enjoyable evening at the movies.
The performances are mostly quite good. Chris Pine as Bo Barrett does a wonderful job as our unambitious young hero. The part has been written stereotypically for a NorCal 70's stoner, but Pine manages to find the subtle and human aspects within that stereotype. He's exciting to watch throughout. As impressive as Pine is, Freddy Rodriguez as his quietly more ambitious buddy, Gustavo Brambila, overshadows him a bit. Rodriguez's passion, his quick changes of pace and tone, and his unexpected energy make Brambila the best part of the film. He plays beautifully, moment-to-moment, and though you're never sure where he'll take you, you're always ready to go. Rachael Taylor as Sam rounds out our three young leads. Taylor does a very nice job. She's sexy and fun, not overly impressive, but she keeps up with the boys and seems to have a good time doing it. Jim Pullman as Jim Barrett is a bit disappointing. He doesn't do a poor job, per say, but he doesn't do anymore than is required of him. Jim Barrett is a pigheaded and tight-wound man, with a passion for growing wine. Pullman's performance gives us this, but nothing else. You don't see any other aspects of the man. It was very two-dimensional and left me wanting. Alan Rickman does a wonderful job as Steven Spurrier, an arrogant and uptight wine snob. All the little quirks of Spurrier come out in Rickman's performance. He's a poser, a bit of a loser, and has a sadness beneath the surface that makes him very human, and engaging to watch. Also worth noting is the fabulous performance of Bradley Whitford as Professor Saunders. It's a small supporting role, one scene, but a key scene in the script, and Whitford plays it off beautifully. Possibly the best scene in the film, and he strolls on and steals it. Disappointing supporting performances come from both Denise Farina as Maurice and Eliza Dushku as Joe. Both actors play the same thing they always seem to play, and in neither case does it entirely seem to fit the role. He's abrasive, she's a tough girl, and they're both repeating performances we've seen them give before.
This film's main faults lie in the structuring of it's second act. The most blame for this lies in the Film Editing by Randall Miller and Dan O'Brien which is erratic and jerky, the Original Music by Mark Adler which opens the film beautifully but begins leading the action in strange ways later on (popping in at awkward and noticeable moments, straining drama into melodrama), and the Writing by Jody Savin, Randall Miller and Ross Schwartz (story by all three plus Lannette Pabon) which seems to lose track of whose story to follow and how to follow it.
In the end, as always, most of the blame and praise falls on the Director, and though Randall Miller's work here is certainly uneven, the performances he manages to illicit bring a joy to the screen that is hard not to feel. I left the theatre pleased, musing at the films problems rather than berating them. As I have said, it's a film full of heart, and that makes up for a lot.
