“Widow Clicquot” (2023 production, 2024 release). Cast: Haley Bennett, Tom Sturridge, Sam Riley, Ben Miles, Paul Rhys, Anson Boon, Cecily Cleeve, Nick Farrell, Ian Cunningham, Natasha O’Keeffe. Director: Thomas Napper. Screenplay: Erin Dignam. Story: Christopher Monger and Erin Dignam. Book: Tilar J. Mazzeo, The Widow Cloquet (2008). Web site. Trailer.

What makes us successful as creative beings? That’s a question that scholars, philosophers and artists have been asking rhetorically for eons. Much, of course, depends on the nature of the creation. A lot also depends on the traits and temperaments of the creators. But the actual mix of attributes necessary for achieving such fulfillment may ultimately be difficult to define – or, as the French might say, a certain je ne sais quoi (or, perhaps more accurately in this context, je ne sais pas). As elusive as making such a determination might sound, though, while it may indeed be challenging to put into words, it’s often relatively easy to spot. Individuals who have what it takes frequently stand out, and, even if their gift isn’t always readily apparent at first glance, it usually becomes obvious once they begin working their magic, as evidenced in the example set by the protagonist in the new historical drama, “Widow Clicquot.”

At the age of 27, the life of French heiress Barbe Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot (1777-1866) (Haley Bennett) changed drastically. Having been born into, and then marrying into, wealth, the young wife and mother suddenly found herself ensconced in daunting circumstances that many thought she was incapable of handling. Mme. Clicquot became widowed when her husband, François (Tom Sturridge), died mysteriously (historians disagree on whether it was due to suicide, typhoid or the result of substance abuse). Upon his passing, she inherited his winery in the Champagne region of France. But that bequest came with some unexpected strings attached, adding burdens on top of the grief she was attempting to deal with.

As it turns out, the winery was in severe financial distress, primarily the result of failed vintages that François had been experimenting with before his death. The winemaker was known for his attempts at implementing inventive practices in his work, many of which were driven by untried techniques that stemmed from a quasi-philosophical standpoint, one that essentially sought to fuse the unlikely pairing of viticultural considerations and stream of consciousness thinking. As poetic as that approach may have sounded, though, it hadn’t really been employed before. Given Barbe’s deep love and respect for her husband, she was consequently quite enamored by his passion for his craft and his application of an almost-romantic methodology to the art of vinification. But, considering that his inventive practices were largely hypothetical in nature, there were no guarantees that they were going to succeed – which they ultimately did not. And the cost to the winery was extensive.

In light of the company’s financial position, many of Barbe’s closest associates believed that the wisest course she should follow was to sell the operation to Jean-Remy Moet (Nick Farrell), owner of the rival Moet organization, who was offering a good price to absorb his distressed competitor. But Barbe wouldn’t hear of it. She vowed to carry on from where her late husband left off. She believed that his theoretical ideas could be made to work when implemented in conjunction with the winemaking knowledge and business acumen that she possessed. But could she realistically pull this off?

Barbe faced stiff opposition from her father-in-law, Philippe (Ben Miles), who didn’t think she was capable of taking on such a task. He believed she lacked the necessary skills to run the business. And, if that weren’t bad enough, he surmised, there was also the fact that she was a woman. This view was backed up by Philippe’s trusted advisors (Paul Rhys, Ian Cunningham), who tried strongarming Barbe into accepting Moet’s offer. Nevertheless, she held firm in her conviction, steadfastly refusing to sell. But there was one catch in her plan: To carry on for the near term, she needed to borrow money from Philippe to keep the operation afloat, at least for the next year, a condition to which her skeptical father-in-law reluctantly agreed.

Even with Philippe’s influx of cash, Barbe still faced her share of financial challenges, such as figuring out creative ways for compensating the winery’s employees. And then more bad news from the company’s accountant, Edouard (Anson Boon), poured additional fuel onto the fire. But Edouard recognized Barbe’s gumption and saw that she possessed the business smarts to make things work. This was a view shared by Barbe’s distributor, Louis Bohne (Sam Riley), who could see that she possessed a nimble mind that could help her work around the obstacles that threatened to put the operation under.

At the time, however, Barbe had more on her mind than just helping the business survive. With her husband’s death, she now found herself a single parent to her young daughter, Clementine (Cecily Cleeve). As a young woman herself, Barbe also had to deal with being unattached in the prime of her life. Love was indeed an important component of her life and being, as evidenced in a series of flashbacks to the many intimate moments she spent with François, times that she came to miss terribly while on her own. But, ever the practical one, Barbe managed to devise the means for resolving these issues, too, leaving her free to devote her time to perfecting the winery’s product.

Just as it seemed she was about to turn a corner with the business, however, new challenges emerged, such as embargoes on sales of exported goods that were imposed on the French by foreign powers during the Napoleonic Era and the emperor’s reign of terror across Europe. What’s more, Barbe’s competitors sought to rein in her organization’s operations by asserting it engaged in illegal activities, practices that could harm the reputation (and future sales) of all of the wineries in the Champagne region. But, as one might guess, she successfully managed to address these questions as well. What a resourceful woman, to be sure.

As a result of her many triumphs, it’s no wonder that Barbe would come to be known as “the Grand Dame of Champagne” during her 50 years at the helm of the House of Veuve Clicquot. Her innovative techniques established her operation as one of the leading wineries in France, introducing practices still in use today. That’s quite a legacy, and quite a tribute, to someone who was once looked upon as being incapable of what she accomplished just by virtue of her gender, let alone a widow at that. But Barbe was confident in her beliefs and abilities – so much so that she incorporated her status as a widow (“Veuve” in French) in the company’s name. Now that’s moxie.

Even when the odds seem stacked against someone, there are those who are able to rise above them and succeed. That’s because they possess the right mix of qualities to make that happen, and Barbe Clicquot was one such individual. But, one might legitimately ask, what causes that mix to arise in the first place? And how is it that one person possesses such traits while someone else does not? Some might contend it’s a matter of random chance, but that seems like something of a cop out, especially when those who achieve such success often appear to have circumstances securely under their control. So what accounts for the difference?

In a case like the one presented in this film, it all comes down to a matter of one’s beliefs. Some may argue against that notion, given that beliefs are intangible, invisible concepts that seem unlikely to have an impact on the manifestations that materialize in our world. But how else can these outcomes be explained, especially when they seem to occur repeatedly for the same individuals experiencing them? Such is the nature of the conscious creation process, the philosophy that maintains our thoughts, beliefs and intents are responsible for the realization of our existence. And those who hold steadfastly to their beliefs – especially in the right combinations – are often able to successfully manifest what they seek to create. It’s hard to say how many of us are aware of – or have even heard of – this school of thought, but there are many who are adept at practicing it, even if they’re not consciously familiar with it or even know what to call it. But, as seen by the example set by someone like Barbe Clicquot, it’s apparent that they know what they’re doing, at least on some level, and that they’re capable of using this knowledge to attain what they want.

The key in making this work is devising the right mix of beliefs and adhering to them once formulated. As becomes apparent, Mme. Clicquot has an inherent knack for vinification and believes in that expertise. The same can be said for her astute business knowledge. And, in both cases, she proves to be adept at reversing the misfortunes that arose. Given her strident self-confidence in these areas, combined with her underlying passion for them (in itself yet another form of belief), she thus possessed the rudiments of what was needed to run a winery and make it prosper as a going concern.

Some might say that François had some of these attributes, too, but he ultimately failed in his efforts, results that naturally beg the question, “Why?” That’s a difficult question to answer, but, as the film’s flashback sequences illustrate, he appears to have lacked certain belief-based traits needed for success – traits that, by contrast, Barbe possessed. In particular, these are her beliefs associated with self-reliance, determination, focus, discipline and faith in her abilities. From the flashbacks, it becomes apparent that, despite his innate creativity and passion for his craft, François lacked these other attributes, more than likely because he hadn’t put in place the beliefs necessary to bring about the outcomes Barbe realized. And this is what ultimately distinguished her from her husband – and what enabled her to prosper where François failed.

The foregoing strengths notwithstanding, Barbe didn’t possess everything she required, but she was astute enough to recognize when to ask for help – and to draw such aid to her as needed. For instance, when she needed financial assistance, she was able to obtain it from Philippe (his doubts about her business acumen aside). And, when she needed help with distribution, she was able to rely on Louis to find markets for her product. Her belief in her ability to attract the necessary resources thus kept the operation afloat under circumstances where others might have failed.

Of course, with all of this going for her, one might also wonder why she also manifested so many challenges around her. The severity of these conditions might have easily doomed her or others less skilled in these practices. However, it could be argued that these hindrances actually helped to galvanize her in her ambitions, keeping her focused on her goals and prompting her to never lose sight of what was required for success. In fact, her accomplishments enabled her to make quite a name for herself. When the Napoleonic siege of Europe ended, for example, foreign dignitaries looking to celebrate their victory specifically sought to do so with Veuve Clicquot champagne, despite it being a commodity produced by a former enemy. What’s more, Barbe also proved that a business didn’t have to be run by a man in order to thrive, disproving the fears of all the sexists of her day.

In many ways, Barbe’s story is one of someone who was made for success. And that outcome arose as a result of self-made (or self-manifested) efforts. We’re each capable of accomplishing great things when we believe in ourselves and create the right conditions to make that happen. And, if that’s not worth drinking a toast to, I don’t know what is.

Combining all of the elements that go into making a fine film, and blending the various ingredients in just the right proportions to achieve that, is akin to the practice of crafting a fine wine – and quite an irony here given the subject matter of this engaging cinematic biography. Director Thomas Napper’s latest chronicles the Widow Clicquot’s diligent efforts to fulfill her ambitious initiatives to live up to the dreams of her late husband. The picture’s superbly structured narrative and screenplay, combined with exquisite period piece production values and excellent performances (particularly Bennett in one of her best on-screen portrayals), make for an involving, multifaceted watch.  Admittedly, there are times in the second half where the story meanders somewhat, and some may find that this release gets a little too detailed when discussing the technical particulars of winemaking. However, much of this offering is evenly balanced, effectively holding viewer interest about a subject that’s not especially common in the annals of filmmaking. What’s more, though, on a more philosophical level, this release celebrates the inherent joy and passion involved in the act of creating, ideas applicable to the manifestation of any artform, be it wine or painting or whatever else we’re capable of envisioning and bringing into being, praiseworthy achievements in which we can all take pride. The film is available for streaming online.

Champagne is a symbol synonymous with the celebration of accomplishments, and, if ever there were anyone deserving of enjoying the laurels associated with it, it would be Mme. Clicquot. She defied the low expectations that had been unfairly thrust upon her, enabling her to rise to the occasion when the opportunity presented itself. She not only lived up to the potential that she knew she possessed, but she also set an example for others to follow – those of us who have dared to believe in ourselves and live up to the capabilities that we know reside within us. That’s something truly worth celebrating, a chance to sparkle as much as the vintage that epitomizes such festivities. Indeed, let’s hear it for us – and proudly raise a glass to ourselves.

Copyright © 2024, by Brent Marchant. All rights reserved.