Somm takes the viewer on a humorous, emotional and illuminating look into the mysterious world of the Court of Master Sommeliers and their massively intimidating Master Sommelier Exam.
Similar titles
Reviews
Wow! Such a good movie.
Just perfect...
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Double-blind tastings have as much relevance to real, hands- on restaurant work as the Zodiac does to Astronomy. What you have, rather, is a trade-show paper- chase that's been cooked up by the pretentiously self-qualified to scam money from the slightly less agile. Suffice it to mention, moreover, that the 'masters' title has absolutely nothing to do with certification from an accredited college or university. Real masters, from academia, are given by juries of PhD's to acknowledge mastery over a subject of which they, as individuals, have made a contribution to knowledge. Therefore, I challenge any judge of said 'court' to present qualifications that would demonstrate any contribution on their part. to the knowledge of wine. 'Proper' cigar service, perhaps, expressed as their own opinion of propriety? 'Proper' chilling of whites--ostensibly with far greater reference to Oscar Wilde than Van der Walls? Or how about yet another uselessly digressive, non-chemical explanation of 'tannins'?Lastly, of course, the use of 'Court' speaks volumes about their collective idiocy. How do they support their right to hold court, or to judge, as it were? Where, pray tell, is there a public textbook that's made available for scrutiny much as, say, physics, chemistry, history, or whatever that's taught over at Dustbunny U? Without reference to said text that's available for all to see, this self-entitled 'court' ranks nothing higher than podunk inquisitional circa AD1200--or rather a Humpty-Dumpty manifesto that states that things mean exactly what I say they mean at the time that I say it". So much for restaurant 'professionalism': next, perhaps, chiropractics?Bill Harris
Somm mainly focuses on 4 people who are preparing to take the certification test as a Master Sommelier, the highest level of achievement for a wine professional.For a person like me who can barely tell the difference between any two wines (whether red or white and even then I rely on eyesight rather than smell or taste), watching Somm seemed like it could be a waste of time. I get that some people take their wine very seriously, but watching the movie trailer I knew that these test candidates took themselves too seriously as well. For example, one candidate states that he has cried 3 times in his life: when his parents died, when his children were born, and when he passed this exam. Another candidate says, "Nothing else in my life has ever been this difficult." Well, I suspect that people sitting for the bar exam, the medical boards, and a few other objectively difficult tests would laugh with me at the tension expressed by the subjects here prior to this test. Not to say the test is easy (I would fail miserably), but it clearly is not nearly the life-or-death situation as the test-takers convey.That being said, this documentary is well shot and edited; the leads are likable and engaging; the accompanying music is wonderful; the attempts to convey the tension felt studying for and taking this exam are effective even if a little exaggerated; and the narration educates non-connoisseurs (like me) just enough without condescension. So if you like documentaries that meet these criteria, you will like this one.
I don't write a lot of reviews but I sure watch a lot of movies and documentaries. What interested me at first was the name, "Somm" - I had to go look up what a "sommelier" did because I don't frequent many places where they might be working. Anyway, without spoiling anything I was laughing, crying, in shock (in one part of the film), and educated. It's one of those films that make you believe you too can achieve anything you want in life if you really believe in yourself and put your best foot forward. I'd like to see a follow-up film on their lives now and how they've changed. If you are at home, grab a bottle of your favorite vino and pull up a seat --- it's on Demand now or catch this one where it's playing in your city. 10 out of 10!
Somm is one of my favorite movies I've ever seen. An amazing film taking you into the world of becoming a Sommelier.. it's truly fascinating. The director Jason Wise did an excellent job taking you on this incredible journey. It keeps your interest from the first second until the very end.. giving you laughs and tears and so much more. Movies like this are rare, where they teach you something amazing while keeping you entertained the whole way through. These characters are developed throughout the movie so perfectly, you get attached to them and I continued to follow up with their stories months after seeing the film. Highly recommend this movie to everyone!