Thomas Napper’s biopic on the 18th century French Champagne maker who stared down sexism in a male-dominated vintner culture. It runs just 90 minutes and accomplishes so much, a mix of tragic (and sexy) romance with a feminist story of a pioneering legend. Haley Bennett reaches into her soul to portray Madame Clicquot and her performance will break your heart – as will Tom Sturridge’s as Francois Clicquot, the captivating but unstable son in charge of the family vineyard. There’s a blanket of grief that cloaks the magnificent to behold “Widow Clicquot” and that’s appropriate as we watch Madame Clicquot stand up for herself and her family and show how savvy she is as a businesswoman and a champagne expert. 

“A worthy, if abbreviated, toast to the woman behind one of the most iconic Champagnes in the world.”–Tribune News Service

“…the cinematography seduces. It evokes the luscious paintings of Ingres, and Stanley Kubrick’s use of natural light in Barry Lyndon.”–AARP