Widow Clicquot (15)

Haley Bennett stars in this swirly, swoony bio-pic of undying love, fine wine, property and madness during the Napoleonic Wars.

Following her husband's François’ sudden death, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot defies societal expectations by taking charge of the struggling wine business they had built together. Despite facing immense political and financial challenges, she silences her critics and transforms the champagne industry, establishing herself as one of the world's pioneering businesswomen.

It's beautifully assembled. Lush design, softly glowing cinematography, a strings-heavy score and non-linear editing add surging passions to what is essentially a straightforward tale of a strong, intelligent woman who succeeds in a culture stacked against her. Dreamy flashbacks and earnest voiceovers heighten the pinched emotions and pointed gender politics.

Bennett gives a yearning performance that flickers back and forth between Barbe-Nicole's marriage and the tenacity, skill and innovation that revolutionised the wine industry in Champagne. Continually cutting to wistful memories of her life with François, there's a strong sense of what's now at stake for Barbe-Nicole, and why transforming this business is so important to her.

A timely account that raises a glass to the grande dame of Champagne.