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‘Widow Clicquot’ Review: Haley Bennett Plays a Champagne Trailblazer In a Biopic More Still Than Sparkling
Thomas Napper's 'Widow Clicquot' is handsomely shot and diligently played by Haley Bennett, but its luxury-brand origin story lacks dramatic vigor.
Much of her struggle is against François’s dour father-in-law Philippe (Ben Miles), a man as disapproving of Barbe-Nicole’s stubborn independence as he was of his son’s unconventional approach to the family business, and an effective stand-in for the entire old guard of masculinity that she (along with what we’re told is her bracingly modern, frisky champagne) is trying to thwart. Instead, she surrounds herself with younger, more progressive male allies, including field foreman Georges (an underused Leo Suter), accountant Edouard (Anson Boon), and most significantly, rakish wine merchant Louis Bohne (Sam Riley) — whose rule-breaking tendencies come in handy when Barbe-Nicole hits on the idea of selling her champagne beyond the bounds of then-Emperor Napoleon’s strict trade embargo. As sympathetic and ultimately rousing as Barbe-Nicole’s career progression is, it’s the marital flashbacks here that have the most dramatic pull — as well as the least expected arc, as what is initially presented as a pure love that transcends material needs and social proprieties gradually emerges as something more unequal and even abusive.
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