3 Talented-hardworking-ambitious-sommeliers out of 4
There’s no small amount of fiction in the belief that hard-work produces results. Working hard, dedicating time, and putting effort into any task will eventually lead to some kind of success in any given field. Malcolm Gladwell published the 10,000 hour figure, claiming that mastery and expertise is most often attained after devoting roughly 10,000 hours to practising a skill. That’s almost 417 days of practice, assuming a person never stops practising to eat, sleep, or carry out any number of necessary functions.
Jiro Ono, of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame, would echo Gladwell’s statistic. To Jiro, once a person picks a profession, they should never complain and they must work their hardest to achieve complete mastery and success. Of course, there are many who would disagree with Ono and Gladwell. Some people are simply not suited to succeed, regardless of how hard they work. Desire works alongside dedication, and the greatest success only really comes from those who want to succeed.
I discuss the rigours of success because understanding Somm’s narrative requires removing any modern notion of success and endeavour from one’s mind. To truly appreciate Somm – to truly understand its subjects – an individual must accept that dedicating one’s entire life to an appreciation of wine is a reasonable pursuit. As we follow the four subjects who hope to enter the pantheon reserved only for the finest admirers of wine, we must recognize that these are people who have devoted their entire lives to wine. Love, marriage, and family all take a backseat to the mere possibility – the single, solitary iota of potential – that Somm’s subjects will succeed and become Master Sommeliers.
Director Jason Wise’s subjects are fully aware of the preposterous nature of their dedication. These are men who show the kind of mind saved only for the greatest thinkers. Had they applied themselves as rigorously to politics as to wine, they could have been revolutionary leaders. Instead, they’ve dedicated themselves to the art of wine – to the business of perfect service.
Jason Wise’s film is not about wine – that description is not only technically inaccurate, it’s an insult to the people whose lives are truly dedicated to the drink. Instead, Wise’s film is about dedication, hard-work, determination, and a completely single-minded desire to succeed. There is much to be learned from the four men who we follow. Most important of all: work hard, study hard, and use every free moment to hone your craft and fulfil your passions.
As a result, Somm is heartbreaking. Watching the movie, I was reminded of how I gave up playing piano because I wasn’t interested in the keys; I was reminded of all of the times I tried a new hobby, only to stop because of boredom, or disinterest. Wise is not interested in lecturing his audience, however. Through talking heads with Master Sommeliers, his subjects, the families of his subjects, and expert vintners, Wise’s goal is simply to chronicle the struggle associated with the seemingly impossible Master Sommelier Exam.
The test takes places over three days and consists of a tasting, theory, and service component. We can bet on an applicant’s ability to succeed in theory and service, the films says. The tasting component, however, is a rigorous 25-minute test where an applicant must correctly describe and identify three red and three white wines to a panel of certified Master Sommelier experts. If this sounds absurd, the film reminds us that the test truly is preposterous. Few successfully certified applicants achieve a perfect score – fewer unsuccessful applicants score on tasting at all.
The film carries a resounding amount of reverence for its subject matter. There’s no small amount of irony then, when almost every expert denounces the exam as insane. We’re constantly reminded that this is a test designed to gauge mastery over a single beverage. Anyone dedicated enough to dream of becoming a Master Sommelier must have equal parts desire and disorder.
Strong as Wise’s film may be, his directing leaves much to be desired. Shots are captured using a mix of handicam and low quality DSLR videography, while lighting and cinematography leaves sequences either over- or underexposed. Rarely are shots visually stimulating, and rarely does the film’s editing rise beyond the level of a low-quality TV documentary. The film’s production will win few awards and garner little praise. Of course, it is clear that this is not a film that is meant to be stylistically powerful.
Somm is a portrait of perfectly calculated, single-minded dedication. In short, it is a film about insanity.