The female friendship in the spotlight in Wine Country

If you asked me what my dream vacation was like, touring Napa Valley with Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph would be pretty high on the list. And it's essentially the atmosphere of this laid-back comedy directed by Amy Poehler and written by our SNL veteran colleagues, Emily Spivey and Liz Cackowski.

Wine country follows six best long-time friends who gather in Napa to celebrate Rebecca's 50th birthday (Rachel Dratch). Friends since their waitress years at a Chicago pizzeria, the six women grew up and split up, each with their own problems. The satisfaction of watching this film stems largely from effortless chemistry between women, all former SNL alumni who are clearly real-life friends (the film was, in fact, based on the 50-year-old feast of Rachel Dratch in Napa).

It's easy to spend 90 minutes watching these women laugh, sing and eclipse, and all women are deeply relatable. Abby (Poehler) is a type A planner whose scheduled itinerary has the weekend scheduled to the minute. Rebecca is a warm therapist blind to the problems of her own life, including a shitty husband that her friends secretly hate. Naomi (Rudolph) is a mother determined to avoid the results of serious medical tests. Catherine (Ana Gasteyer) is a famous chef who favors work in relation to her friendships. Val (Paula Pell) has new knees and is looking for love, while Jenny (Emily Spivey) would have preferred to stay at home (relatable).

The film is not afraid of the problems that women face when they reach middle age: health problems, career difficulties, dead ends. And while women are unpacking their problems this weekend, there is never any nastiness. These friends obviously love and support each other despite their problems. And this is a dynamic of highly relatable friendship: you identify with at least one woman in the group and you recognize your friends in several others.

The film contains a lot of jokes, including the total disinterest of the group to know everything about wine and their dissatisfaction with Devon, the chef-chauffeur who "comes with the house". owner of the rental house and Cherry Jones as pessimistic tarot card reader.

The action remains firmly in the group, without introducing love, except the flirtation with Val, their young waitress Jade (Pen15'S Maya Erskine). It's refreshing for the only romantic side plot of the movie that focuses on the group's lesbian.

If the film arouses criticism, it is that it is not as funny and as sharp as the actors it presents. There are bursts of laughter, but the humor never reaches the level of a Bridesmaids or one Girls' travel. The tone of the film maintains Napa Valley's laid-back vibe, but the sweetness and chemistry of its core team Wine country a nice watch.

(image: Colleen Hayes / Netflix)

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