The Birth of Sake is something like the marriage between an art film and home movies...and not in a good way. There are a lot of arty shots, done nicely, good cinematography, but they really add nothing to the story of the making of sake.
The footage that shows sake being made is, to be kind, amateurish. Just like in home movies, where your cousins and aunts are acting a bit strange because the camera is on them, the candid shots are embarrassing and add little to the story of what the title purports to be the theme.
It's a good idea, and there's probably a good movie to be made about the exacting nature of the making of sake, but this is not that movie.
The footage that shows sake being made is, to be kind, amateurish. Just like in home movies, where your cousins and aunts are acting a bit strange because the camera is on them, the candid shots are embarrassing and add little to the story of what the title purports to be the theme.
It's a good idea, and there's probably a good movie to be made about the exacting nature of the making of sake, but this is not that movie.