Champagne Problems stars Minka Kelly as Sydney, a businesswoman who’s going up in the world, finally getting her shot.
She thinks champagne solves everyone’s problems by just existing. I think red wine does that for me, although it does give me a headache the next day if I have too much.
Then again, Minka is meant to go to Paris for her trip, but instead comes to the UK and sweeps me off my feet… If only. She was absolutely stunning as North in Detroit: Become Human. Often, videogames cast actors and actresses in roles where they look nothing like their human counterpart, but thankfully, she was spot-on in that game.
Alas, in a game with tons of different paths and multiple endings, I think she died in my game. Sorry, Minka.
Anyhoo, on her whistlestop tour to Gay Paree, she wants to go to top of the Eiffel Tower. When I as there, interrailing in 1992 with my Uni mate, Nigel, we couldn’t get quite up to the top. I think there was a problem with the lift that day, probably because it was so busy. It’s certainly not going to be any quieter during what EE call “the hosting season” (hush, Kevin Bacon!)
But Christmas seems to be the time for finding ‘the one’, and she comes across Henri (Tom Wozniczka) in the bookstore, while looking for a book for her sister, he clearly wants to do the horizontal mambo with her and the feeling is obviously mutual, even though it would lead to being late for her all-important meeting in the morning.
Her task is to pitch to buy the vineyard of Cassell Château, against there’s three others in competition, one of which – Roberto (Sean Amsing) – is frequently amusing.
Yes, Champagne Problems is largely predictable and often twee, but it doesn’t pretend to be anything else, so it does what it says on the tin. It’s like one of those Christmas films that dominate the Channel 5 afternoons in November and December, but then they get tons of viewrs, so that’s what to do at this time of year.
There’s also one element I’ve left out of my review that IS in the trailer, but then I didn’t watch that before seeing the film, so I won’t spill those beans here. When I wanted to check this out, it was purely for Minka Kelly. And that’s okay in my book!
Thanks to our friends at Netflix for the screener prior to release.
Champagne Problems is on Netflix from today, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Check out the trailer below:
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 99 minutes
Release date: November 19th 2025
Studio: Netflix
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Score: 4/10
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Producers: Margret H Huddleston, Mark Steven Johnson, Stephanie Slack
Screenplay: Mark Steven Johnson
Music: Ryan Shore
Cast
Sydney Price: Minka Kelly
Henri Cassell: Tom Wozniczka
Skyler Price: Maeve Courtier-Lilley
Hugo Cassell: Thibault de Montalembert
Roberto Salazar: Sean Amsing
Otto Moller: Flula Borg
Brigitte Laurent: Astrid Whettnall
Ryan Garner: Xavier Samuel
Marvin Roth: Mitchell Mullen
Philippe: Joël Cudennec
Marcel (Concierge): Thierry Rene
Dom Perignon: Pascal Lifschutz
Claudine – Hugo’s assistant: Catherine Sauval
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.