Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/142283
ON THE SCREEN Worth Seeing NEW DOCUMENTARY SOMM TELLS A DRAMATIC TALE PHOTO COURTESY OF FORGETTEN MAN FILMS/SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS T Brian McClintic, Ian Cauble and Dustin Wilson in SOMM. rying to be the best at anything is a universal struggle. SOMM is a fascinating and well-made documentary about four young sommeliers trying to achieve the pinnacle of wine world expertise, the title of Master Sommelier. What is a Master Sommelier and what is required to ascend to this level of recognition? Total immersion and dedication are part of it. The movie, skillfully written and directed by first-timer Jason Wise, follows these four on their quest. It is an intimate portrait of their all-consuming struggle as they wrestle with winemaking theory, blind tasting techniques and restaurant service challenges. It also features their wives, girlfriends and other who are directly impacted by their obsession. During their preparations, they are trained, quizzed and berated by a team of Master Sommeliers headed by chief interrogator and sometimes executioner Fred Dame. The rigor of the process is comparable to a Ph.D. dissertation or the vetting of a potential presidential candidate. It is riveting and scary. The final scenes, in which the candidates are told of their success or failure, are dramatic and heart-breaking. Although SOMM should be of particular interest to industry professionals, it is filled with universal human truths that will strike a chord with anyone who has ever been tested by life. —Anthony Dias Blue SOMM, written and directed by Jason Wise. 93 minutes. Samuel Goldwyn Films. Dustin Wilson practices blind tasting at RN74 restaurant in San Francisco. Director of photography Jackson Myers is behind the camera. Brian McClintic in wine country. DLynn Proctor contemplates a red. july 2013 / the tasting panel / 45 TP0713_034-65.indd 45 6/24/13 5:40 PM