Time to Drink: From the Vine
Joe Pantoliano stars in this comic tale of ethical crisis and new beginnings, From the Vine
This gently comic Italian-American tale centres on an Italian-American lawyer called Mark Gentile, whose Italian grandfather’s death draws him back to Italy to make wine in his grandfather’s old vineyard, after an ethical crisis. Much to the dismay of his long-suffering wife Marina (Wendy Crewson).
The film opens with Mark Gentile (Joe Pantoliano) quitting his job due to his ethical crisis related to car manufacture. Here we are introduced to the first of many day-dreams and hallucinations that provide a tender and amusing interlude to the progress of the film.
Breaking the news to his wife and daughter (Laura — Paula Brancati), introduces us to this man’s character flaws before we embark on his comical journey through the film.
From the Vine is not a life changing experience. However, the feeling this film leaves you with will probably stick with you through the week, even month, if not year.
This story is the light-heartedly told bumbling experience of a man trying to find his feet in a new industry in a town that had till his arrival all but forgotten him.
Not to create too many spoilers, but this is an uplifting story. It sometimes verges on the cheesy. But perhaps after 2020 this is exactly what we need.
This film was released in cinemas on the 10th of September and is now released for home viewing.
