Wine, women -- and it's all wrong

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2006 | by Claudia Puig

A Good Year *1/2 out of four Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, Freddie Hightower, Marion Cotillard Distributor: 20th Century Fox Rated: PG-13 for language and some sexual content Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes Opens nationwide today --- Russell Crowe may find himself discovering the simple joys of life in A Good Year, but audiences will be checking their watches during this joyless attempt at comedy.

Crowe tries to be adorable and wacky, but is mostly charmless and irksome as a high-powered investment banker who calls his employees "lab rats" and cravenly uses his overworked secretary to give his girlfriends the brushoff. Teaming again with Gladiator director Ridley Scott, Crowe stars in the adaptation of Peter Mayle's 2004 novel about an...