SOMM

SOMM is a captivating, inspiring documentary about four young men trying to pass a difficult three-day exam to become a “Master Sommelier,” an advanced level of wine steward. Surprisingly, the story it tells puts viewers on the edge of their seats, but there is some strong foul language in several scenes that warrant strong caution.

The movie starts by pointing out that less than 200 people have passed the Master Level test in the 40 years of its existence. The story focuses on four young men, Brian, Dustin, Ian, and DLynn, trying to pass the three-day exam. The exam is divided into three parts, Theory, Service and Wine Tasting. In wine theory, the students use thousands of index cards to study all the different wine regions of the world and their different kinds of wines. In service, the students are thrown curveballs by two Master Level stewards acting as restaurant customers. The most grueling test of all, perhaps, is the wine tasting test, where students must correctly identify not only the name of several mystery wines but also their quality, simply by smell and taste alone.

SOMM generates so much energy for each of the four guys taking the test that the audience can’t help but sit on the edge of their seats as they wait to hear the results for each man. The movie has a universal appeal, because nearly everyone remembers taking some kind of difficult test. The movie makes it clear that passing this test will make a huge difference in both the personal and professional lives of the men. Even their wives or girlfriends are affected, because of the hours and hours of study it takes to pass the test.

SOMM has a mixed worldview. The movie is pro-capitalist. However, although God is thanked twice, the drama is otherwise not religious and is fairly secular. SOMM also contains some strong foul language, so strong or extreme caution is warranted.