Isabel

There’s something alluring about enjoying wine and pretending to be a sybarite, even though we are often unable to tell the difference between a bottle that costs five or 50 pounds. We associate a cold bottle of wine with ambrosia straight out of Greek myth. Although there is a fine line between tasting and excess, this ancient drink accompanies us at restaurants and Sunday meals alike.

So, Gabe Klinger’s cosy Isabel is an enjoyable joyride, refreshing like a glass of cold Pinot Grigio. We finally meet someone who knows the wine drill. There is nothing more pleasant than following the eponymous character, Isabel, played by the charismatic Marina Person, a total powerhouse. She is a Brazilian sommelière and a consummate professional. It’s both her passion and perhaps the most essential part of her soul.

As we learn, Isabel dreams of opening her own wine bar. But it’s not that simple. Despite being one of the best wine experts in Brazil and having support from both her husband and best friend, it’s still not enough. Isabel will soon have to decide if such a venture is worth risking it all. Her life is full of ups and downs. In the film, the past and present are interlaced: from time to time, we see old footage of better days when Isabel’s only concern was how to prepare the perfect wine with her partner. Now, it all seems to have faded away: instead of sex, love and winemaking, there’s just routine. We have seen this story before, but Isabel is compelling enough to keep us seated.

Yet, even if Isabel is sometimes dominated by memories of the so-called better days, she wakes up every day to defy her prosaic everyday life. She wants more: more than a dull boss who doesn’t want to experiment with new wines; more than a husband who is only partially present; more than this small apartment, where there is no place to store crates of new wine.

So, she doesn’t give up. Her love of wine becomes her driving force. You don’t want to stop her; you want to stand beside her, glass in hand, and rise just like Isabel, one of the most inspiring characters from this year’s Berlinale programme.