Movie Review: Tokyo Wine Party People (2019, 1:41, Amazon Prime)

Movie Review: Tokyo Wine Party People
2019
1:41 long
Amazon Prime, free streaming

[Edited to remove spoilers]
I think this movie just got released for free streaming on Amazon Prime a few days ago, I don’t recall seeing it on any lists, or searches before. Unlike most wine movies, where the drink is an ancillary element of the plot line, in this movie its the central aspect, and oenophiles - especially those who love classic French regions - will enjoy this movie. Even the stemware they use is clearly top tier.

The movie is subtitled into English, and that appears to be strangely interpreted, and by someone who might not have been highly knowledgeable about wine, but it works well enough, and as one watches, and gets drawn in to the slow moving story the subtitling gets overlooked. The characters - even though they are foreign - have a wonderful complexity that becomes more interesting when viewing through the lens of a foreign (to me) society. Everyone will knows them: the boorish know it all wine guy, a rich entrepreneur who can casually uncork a 1990 DRC Echezeaux, the edgy friend who has had plastic surgery and repeats to herself in front of bathroom mirrors ‘I’m pretty and will find a boyfriend’, a sommellier who drinks a touch too much, and so on.

About 2/3 of the way through, the movie gathers momentum and interest when the protagonist attends a party where a range of trophy wines are poured. There’s a flashback story, and then the moralistic result. The tasting group then repairs privately to drink another wine; discusses the quality and what it means. It’s a poignant little touch, that those who have followed a certain long running WB board saga will enjoy (or at least understand).

Overall: TWPP is a chaste romance mashed up with a wine story, and would be a good first/doubles date movie for a wine enthusiast. There’s no awkward raunchiness that would be weird on a first date, but it also shows depth of affection for wine, which could be a useful aspect to get out of the way. I’d give this move a B+ and recommend it, especially with a goblet of AOC Margaux.

PS: like the Disney Marvel movies, watch the movie all the way to the end, past the credits!

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Cool! Thanks for the review and post-credits tip. I’d love to watch it.

Thanks Arv! Sounds right up my alley, I’ll add it to my queue.

Thanks for the recommendation. But your post is like those (awful to me) previews that give away everything in the movie.

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Agreed. Arv, you might want to edit out a few of the spoilers.

Arv,

Thanks, will take a look. Will try to “pair it” with a glass of Echezeaux.

Cheers,
Doug

Watched this. Don’t know who was doing the English translation but it was poorly done. That being said, I di like the movies. Actually, have never seen a sommeliet at a Tokyo restaurant. Maybe I don’t go fancy enough.

Kindof a strange movie. Don’t miss the vineyard wine party (toward the middle) where the ‘Boss’ holds up a wine and says it’s a great Zinfandel made by a genius who started in wine when he was 5 years old. The wine is definitely Bedrock. Shoutout to Morgan!!

I have seen 200 Motels, Last Year at Marienbad, El Topo, and the uncut Heaven’s Gate. I have seen Under the Silver Lake, Battlefield Earth, BOOM!, and Slapstick (of a different kind). I have seen Carnival of Souls, My Son John, Sunnyside and most of the films of Guy Madden. This is the strangest film I have ever seen.

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If there’s no “awkward raunchiness” I’m not interested!

There is a LOT of cork sniffing.

I thought TWPP was a slightly strange movie, exacerbated by the subtitling, and general cultural differences, but I would hardly place it in the pantheon of truly wacked movies. For me, in a world of streaming, I’m not very likely to even watch that much of irritating movies - 20 minutes in if I’m not hooked, I’m clicking menu / return buttons.

But have you seen this?

Whomever authored this has a clear reverence and knowledge of wine. It’s all scoreboard for the French wines featured but the California wines featured by name or label were not the high dollar, broadly known labels. Excepting the Screagle showed off by the collector burned by fakes.

Thomas Fogarty Pinot
Mt Eden Cab
Bedrock Zin
Rivers Marie Pinot

Pretty geeky.

Light film. Barely a romantic comedy. It’s the most wine “wine” movie I can think of.

I think the translations were by either a native Japanese speaker with limited conversational English or maybe an automated software. Its definitely awkward in spots but nothing that leads you astray.

A fun wine nerd movie. Don’t expect much more.

Thanks for the rec, Arv.

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Phew … the reference above to El Topo made me nervous but “barely a romantic comedy” balanced that nicely … planning this for the weekend… sipping some Bedrock.

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