MacacoBanditi 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.

dwuksta Bunch of young guys try to become Sommeliers, who are experts in wine, said to be one of the hardest exams to pass. I didn't really learn any interesting facts about wine. It was really just guys sitting around offering their best descriptions of the wine they were tasting, doing a bit of study, getting annoyed, bit more study, mock exams, whinging. We never really became connected with the participants, or came to know much about them at all, except that they wanted to pass this test. I was intrigued by how they were able to correctly identify some of the wine, but it was never really explored how they do it. I assume from drinking a lot of wine from all over the world. I mean...how does one become interested in this??? Not answered. How is it done??? Not answered. How many varieties of wine are there??? They did say there only 147 qualified in the world, so that was one interesting fact. I did feel sympathetic to the guys and the amount of pressure they were under, but the whole topic and the characters were vastly unexplored. I wouldn't rush out to catch this.

CL Goodman I don't write a lot of reviews but I sure watch a lot of movies and documentaries. What interested me at first was the name, "Somm" - I had to go look up what a "sommelier" did because I don't frequent many places where they might be working. Anyway, without spoiling anything I was laughing, crying, in shock (in one part of the film), and educated. It's one of those films that make you believe you too can achieve anything you want in life if you really believe in yourself and put your best foot forward. I'd like to see a follow-up film on their lives now and how they've changed. If you are at home, grab a bottle of your favorite vino and pull up a seat --- it's on Demand now or catch this one where it's playing in your city. 10 out of 10!

John Skupny I was fortunate to see this movie at the Napa Valley Film Festival Premiere this past spring. It is a story of four wine professionals working to gain the title of Master Sommelier through a process of practical tasting regimes and intense study. Often times at the lose of much in their own personal lives and relationships.Very well done in extracting the dedication,frustration and sheer work that these fellows put in to achieve their goal. One does not have to be a wine lover to feel the 'pain' and revel at the success that each of them experience at some point throughout the process. I cannot wait for it to come into general release to see it again. Kudos to all involved.