Film Scouts on the Riviera 1999

1999 Cannes Film Festival Diaries
A Festival Wine Diary, Part 7

by Amy Reiley

Film Scouts on the Riviera 1999 is brought to you by:



The premiere of Kevin Smith's Dogma was a star-studded success thanks to the electricity generated by the enthusiastic young crowd packing the Palais. It was unfortunately, the appearances of Selma Hyak; Spike Lee; Ben Affleck; Forrest Whitiker and Smith himself that had the crowd on their feet rather than the celluloid on the screen.

All Holy Water and Communion jokes aside, Dogma is best seen with a bottle of wine at your side. A fine Bordeaux is recommended, not because the film can deliver equal quality, but because it would take a great wine to smooth over the movie's fragmented dialog and erratic special effects.

It was as though someone had turned Smith loose in one of the world's finest wine cellars and let him open every bottle without ever drinking a drop. The cast list read like a line-up of great Burgundies, with everyone from Ben Affleck to Alanis Morrisett turning in a first rate performance.

However, the film, pondering the effects of organized religion, was far too long, too wordy and far too special effect driven. Next time, I hope the producers lock up the cellar before Smith comes over and steer him back to the Gatorade and Budwiser style of Clerks.


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