TeenzTen An action-packed slog

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

manuatimdb Wine is one of the most beautiful things in the world, combining history, culture,art, nature and tradition. It is made in order for people to have more joy in their lives. At least thats the attitude most wine drinkers in the old world countries have towards wine. Unfortunately, since countries like Great Britain and the United States never had such an old wine tradition like for instance counties like Italy or France, some people over there got everything wrong and because of their incapacity of feeling and respecting wine like they should do, they started to build an "elite" community, called master sommeliers. The only purpose of this "elite" community is to use wine as a subject of some kind of completely soulless competition. The result is shown in its full cruelty in this film. Teachers (Master Sommeliers) as well as students (Master Sommelier candidates) are doing their best to let wine seem like a cardio machine in a fitness studio. Culture is something these people have never understood and will never understand. For real wine lovers who know what wine is made for, with at least little glimpse of cultural background, education and, above all, heart, this film is hardly bearable.

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.

alceinwdld Compelling look at the dedication needed to pass one of the hardest exams in the world. Each of the candidates featured in the movie had interesting personality quirks that kept my interest... I found myself rooting for all of them, knowing the odds were against them.This documentary will likely appeal to wine lovers, but perhaps also those who are curious about wine or appreciate obsessions. This documentary reminded me of Kings of Pastry- a similar look at an exam that requires full obsession and dedication. Although not about an exam, the sushi documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi had a similar feel.The constant background music during dialogue/ emotional high points was very distracting, enough to dock it a point or two.

fansynancy SOMM tells the story of a group of young men working towards earning the prestigious title Master Sommelier. This is among the most difficult series of exams to pass in the world. Incredibly, the candidate must blind taste wine and identify its type region and vintage as part of the test. The people who choose to pursue this are an interesting and varied group. In the end, it's about wine, but It is also the tale of friendship, teamwork and perseverance. The pressure of the upcoming exam is palpable, weighing on relationships. We waited in line for two hours to see this film at the Napa Valley Film Festival. We were so gad we did. It was fabulous!