Where The Decanter is More Interesting than The Wine

ManoNimat

I have an acutely ambivalent reaction to this attempted documentary. I am more-than-average interested in the topic of wine, but SOMM instead treats the subject of 4 guys preparing to take an exam to become 'master sommeliers'. So, to my disappointment, the film really wasn't about wine at all, rather a reality-show style video of 4 fairly obnoxious, unlikeable, uninteresting guys, full of themselves, and also full of obnoxious 'frat bro' bravado, reciting wine attributes like a mantra and spitting into a bucket. They manage to take the consumption of wine, which should be an act of immense pleasure and sensation, and degrade it into little more than a circle-jerk weenie-measuring contest. If one of these clowns unctuously showed up at my table to offer 'advice', I would totally ignore and wave him away. And these guys are almost sympathetic in comparison to the men in the film who already ARE 'master sommeliers'. If anything, this film demystifies the credential, and exposes it as little more than a hazing ritual, conferring a title of dubious value and dubious legitimacy. I like good wine, and I'm certainly open to learning more and experiencing something new, but I would want no part of what any of these jerks are selling.

3 stars out of 10 for some pretty filmography, and a nice original soundtrack. I appreciate the filmmaker's intention here, but the content mostly fails. It's like having a decanter full of wine, where the decanter is more interesting than the wine.

score 3/10

ManoNimat 19 August 2014

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3071862/