“Somm” is a documentary movie directed by Jason Wise and first presented in Canada in 2013. The film reveals the sommelier profession and shares the stories of people who dedicated their entire lives to wine production and degustation. Only around 200 people in the world have the Master of Sommelier Diploma, and the exam they passed to receive the title is admitted as the most difficult in the world (Somm). The movie’s scenario is based on the parallel description of the sommelier’s journey, history of wine, and production techniques. The plot aims to show how a desire to achieve a goal, discipline, and dedication to a specific field can improve a person’s life and become a source of happiness.
The characters are the Masters of Sommelier and individuals who are on their way to pass the elite exam. The documentary’s director filmed the experience of becoming the true sommelier via the actual participation in the process and the countdown till the examination day (Somm). The characters share their emotions, show strengths and weaknesses, and the dynamic of their journeys makes the movie entertaining rather than only informative. Moreover, the relationships between the participants, their families, and the industry’s celebrities add drama to the plot.
“Somm” includes various details about wine production and history, thus the audience may vary from real-life sommeliers to ordinary people interested in the famous drink’s origins. The Master of Sommelier Diploma exam proceeding has always been hidden from cameras, and the movie sheds light on it for the first time (Somm). While the plot is about the contestants’ journey to the top of Sommeliers, the underlying motive is how addictive people can be in their attempts to achieve mastery.
Work Cited
Somm. Directed by Jason Wise, performance by Ian Cauble, Forgotten Man Films, 2013.