Review of SOMM

SOMM (2012)
1/10
Pathetic
29 April 2016
A so-called documentary about four guys who are preparing for the "Master Sommelier" exam. Never mind that we are never told who the organization behind this contest is, or who bestowed upon them the honor of conferring such a dubious distinction. But we are told that you are supposed to completely dominate not only wine tasting, but also five different languages, spirits, cigars, geography, history, climatology, geology and whatnot to pass this exam. Unfortunately all the main characters seem to miss the mark completely, none of them have the demeanor of someone who has been born and raised in a very cultured environment, speaking multiple languages. In fact, they look that they only learned what the capital of Slovenia is just to impress and top their peers. Honestly, it's just a bunch of bros dating bimbos (inexplicably they interview their wives too) whose only goal in life is to be the best at something. Wine is completely irrelevant, they could be talking about sports or any other topic, the only real driver behind it all is competition. Imagine a Master Bach Listener title and a test where you have to identify the piece, the ensemble playing it and provide details about the harmony, composition and sonority. All in 10 seconds. That is how stupid this whole endeavor is. At the end of the day I'm not sure the filmmakers are taking this seriously or it is all just to mock this contest and the participants. Not A SINGLE person appearing in this movie (except for Bo Barrett) is likable, appealing or really impresses us with their understanding of wine. They are a bunch of soulless, superficial, pathologically competitive a*holes fighting about a title no one in the world really cares about nor takes seriously. If you have a minimal appreciation for wine, this movie is downright offensive, so please avoid like the plague.
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