Russel Crowe plays a workaholic London bonds trader who doesn't know the meaning of vacation. When his uncle dies, he leaves him a picturesque estate in the south of France. The lush village and streaming sunlight portray Provence as an idyllic, magical place. When he gets the chance to live life at a less manic pace than which he is used to, he finds that a good year isn't dependant on a financial windfall. Still, while the film doesn't fully utilise Crowe's range of skills, the actor is charming in his role and A Good Year provides fine viewing.

Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) seeks peace and relaxation at her publisher's French villa, only to find his brash, sexually liberated daughter Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) arriving shortly thereafter to disrupt her solitary reverie.