User reviews

It's nice to watch a movie about a black man in America immersed in black culture that isn't centered on violence and hip hop music. Kudos to Mamoudou Athie and Courtney Vance for superior acting.

Yeah yeah it's not accurate... But I also dislike people that write bad reviews over 'historically inaccurate'... It's a nice movie. Nothing super but it entertained!

My wife & I recently visited Napa Valley last October for our anniversary, & attended a few wine tastings in Barcelona the year before. So I was definitely familiar with the subject matter(my wife's has been interested with the wine 🍷 industry for a while now) So this movie was a no brainer recommendation for her. What I really appreciate it about this movie was that it was towed from a Black perspective it wasn't the typical black story so to speak. I really loved Courtney B Vance and Neicy Nash's chemistry on screen. The lead Mamadou Athie, did a great Job with expressing the dilemma with Wanting to pursue your dreams and not disappoint your father I definitely could relate to the on screen performances from him and Courtney B Vance. Really good job, without spoiling anything I think the one great that viewers may have Is the feeling of unfulfillment with the ending. That's not to say that it wasn't a good movie because it was I could just see that being the one critique of the film. I am myself definitely understood the message with him wanting to continue pursuing what he set out to do and I appreciated that.

This is right up there with other great foodie movies. Every character has tons of charm and charisma and every joke is just right.

I liked the father and son's story but I don't think it was enough for a movie. Maybe a short film but it felt flat even with the obvious plot twists. In other words, it was too much content for such a weak climax at the end. It was not well balanced.

The lead may be black, the struggle is universal. The point being, he and his issues are more than relatable! The major ones that is, the ones where he does not know what path to take. Or at least is struggling because of his dad and expectations of course.

Now this is for dreamers, a drama that will entice you if you let it. It is not easy and maybe not always right to take a certain path. But you have to take risks - how does that play out with those who are close to you though? And can there be peace? How do you know you did the right thing? You gotta open that bottle (of opportunity) to know ...

The movie was well-acted and generally held our interest, but it seemed oddly edited. Some scenes changed rather quickly without any segue that made them understandable. Also, it seemed to us that some of the sadder parts of the storyline were totally unnecessary, and did little to advance the story. Overall, not bad, but not nearly on the level of 'Sideways' as wine movies go, and not on the level of others I've seen (though can't recall them now) that deal with the child-goes-against-parents-wishes theme.

I live in France so can understand the obsession some have with wine. Why such an overall low rating? This was beautifully acted with a believable open ending. No rush at the end to tie things up. It was great to watch a black film without a feeling of dread.

Uncorked was a movie that had a plot where son is dreaming to become what he loves while his father wants to purse him to chose his way of life and legacy of doing business,first i will say that uncorked is a nicely told story about father son relationship and how they can both relate and disagree with some decisions they are making and how that effects them,story and acting was in big parts of a film very strong only some side characters were unnecserey for me and story sometimes focused to much on them,uncorked was a fine time in front of screen and it give me nice warm moments

The storyline is familiar to all (protagonist wants a different style of life than his/her parents and faces hardship because of it) but the sommelier and wine aspect brought a tiny little twist to it.

I thought the scenes were filmed in a nice way. I especially liked the short shots that showed the neighborhood and the heartwarming scenes with family interactions.

The script had a lot of issues however. In my opinion everything was happening too fast. That left no time for explaining or building up the actions and decisions. The characters felt unfamiliar to me throughout the whole movie. I constantly questioned why this and that was happening or how it came to be. Most of the twists didn't excite me and I have to say that I felt bored at times.

The acting was okay but I think that the bad script took a edge off from it. At times the dialogue felt a tad dry and other times it was good. The relationships and interactions between the characters were quite good.

I did find it enjoyable and funny at times but most of the time the movie felt average and even below it.

In line with reality, it shows a clear and neat picture without overlooking whether to become a family B.B.Q. restaurant or a dream sommelier. The ending with a good afterglow is also good. And music. Really good. I feel a lot of affection for Memphis' culture and characters, which are the background in many ways.

Enjoyed the story but the "intensivity" just wasn't there! A supposedly very busy BBQ restaurant but nobody seems to be working..... there was no bustle in the kitchen, no skills shown. This film could have been so much better and more interesting (actually a very good story!) with a bit of "passion" and a bit of fire!

It was pretty amazing movie, about dreaming,achieving, seeking for ur goals. Pretty motivational. I liked that a lot.

Life is never a straight line. Very few of us are doing what we thought we would be doing, or arrived in the manner we thought we would. This movie is a direct reflection of that.

One particular scene, without ruining it, is near the very end. I won't explain it but I hope you will recognize it when you see it. The way the director/writer worked in the imagery and what he was struggling with at that particular time was incredibly effective.

"Hey, if you want to tell people what to drink with their chitlins, I'm fine." Louis (Courtney B. Vance)

If the serious contemplation of a fine wine is a sweet, deliberative process, then Netflix's Uncorked mirrors that measured appreciation in just over an hour and a half. A young son, Elijah (Mamoudou Athie), tells his dad, Louis, that he doesn't want to take over the family Memphis BBQ business. Although dad is a tough boss and father, Vance gives him a humanity not easily discounted.

What Elijah wants is to become a sommelier, which will take intense study the Court of Master Sommeliers. In his spare time, he works for a wine store and craves the Domaine Long-Depaquit Chablis. While that courageous sommelier undertaking occupies some of the film's conflict, even more is given to the tense relationship of father and son, as son disappoints father, who wants him to carry on the family business.

In neither the wine nor family case is any new ground covered, except that the family is black, not an important point of view here but an undertone. The slow changes coming over the principals create dramatic tension in our wanting to know if Elijah will pass the exam (the studying and exams are fearsome, not unlike I suppose for the CPA).

Both Vance and Athie are superb actors, who accurately depict two people who love each other but have different aspirations. The actors of the family and Elijah's girlfriend, Tanya (Sasha Compere), are relaxed and, with one exception, without stereotype. In that regard, they could be of any color and the story arc the same. No surprise that Elijah starts to win Tanya's heart with his description of chardonnay as "the jay Z of wine." As they agree Drake is like a Riesling, they're in love.

Although his color may inhibit his aspirations, he heroically pursues his dream, despite only 230 Master Sommeliers in the world and for oenophiles a white world at that. Although at times the metaphoric language of expert wine appreciation is inscrutable, Elijah's ambition speaks to any young ambitious person. Don't look for the spice of Sideways, a much more entertaining journey, but do savor the arc of a family in change.

It seemed like a lot of conversations were added to the script to take up time. The story-line was bland and boring. I kept drifting off in thought.

We really enjoyed this movie! It was very realistic, unpredictable, BEAUTIFULLY acted, well written, funny in many moments without trying and very touching. Very, very well done and a breath of fresh air.

Great movie, I wondered why I hadn't seen this story in a movie before. Great acting all around, funny in a realistic and relatable way. Really root for the lead and identify with him

Okay, so I want to become a master sommelier. Is that like a pirate? No, that's a Somalian.

I don't have a thing for wine. Never had. Even an excellent wine, recommended by connoisseurs, won't appeal to me. I never liked the taste of it. Why the hell would I watch a movie that focuses on the world of wines? Well, it's just a coincidence. I discovered "Uncorked" while browsing Netflix and thought I'd give it a shot. And also because I didn't make the link between the movie title and the whole wine happening. To be honest, I wasn't overly enthusiastic about the part about getting a sommelier diploma. The barbecue restaurant storyline, on the other hand, was mouth-watering. And as the film progressed, my hunger pangs intensified. And that didn't happen since "Chef".

Well, the film doesn't only consist of scenes in which wine bottles are uncorked and someone trying to identify this divine beverage while gurgling and spitting it out. This Netflix drama is also about the inner conflict Elijah (Mamoudou "Underwater" Athie) struggles with. This determined young man from Memphis, whose daily routine consists of helping out in the family business and working in the local wine store, has to make an all-important decision in his life. Either disappoint his father. Either himself. His father Louis (Courtney B. "Ben is back" Vance) is convinced his son will take over the family business in the future. Just like Louis did from his father. And Elijah is increasingly realizing that the profession of a master sommelier is more dear to him than marinating and barbequing spare ribs.

So "Uncorked" brings the well-known theme about a generation gap. On the one hand, Elijah doesn't want to abandon his father. On the other hand, he's still looking for his aim in life. His heart and soul belongs to the sparkling world of wines. A way to mentally travel to other countries ("When I get a wine from someplace like France, someplace like Spain, I just feel like I'm kinda there."), as a compensation for the lack of this in his youth. The problem is that his father doesn't believe anymore in the person Elijah and sees it as yet another insane idea that his son has. And he shows that by acting indifferent and disinterested. Needless to say, there is, of course, Sylvia (Niecy Nash), the concerned and supportive mother figure who properly convinces her husband to let Elijah work it out of his system. She's the missing link between the two poorly communicating vessels, while she herself has to deal with her own health problem.

"Uncorked" is an average movie. A movie that you'd watch while sitting relaxed on your sofa, with or without a glass of wine within reach. A film with a smile and a tear. The humor is not often present but sometimes subtle. For example, the Somalis debacle elicited a brief chuckle. And all this with a soundtrack filled with contemporary hip-hop music that belongs more to the spare ribs house than to the cultured world of wine connoisseurs. It's a movie you love or dislike, just like with wine. Family values and chasing your dreams are the key topics that I'll remember from this movie. But I can't say that the urge for drinking wine got any bigger after watching this Netflix movie.

Uncorked is now available on Netflix

More reviews here: movie-freak.be

"Uncorked" is an easy, heartfelt, refreshing wine-tasting-sommelier-ambition film that melds wonderfully with family dynamics. Mamoudou Athie gives a standout performance as Elijah, a young man torn between his passion to become a master sommelier and his father's expectations to take over the family barbecue business. It is also Director Prentice Penny's ability to use a large amount of contrast between drama and moments of humor/warmth that really helps to create a very relatable and engaging storyline. The strong supporting cast includes Niecy Nash and Courtney B. Vance, both doing well as Elijah's supportive yet conflicted parents. Though it does tread on quite an expected storyline, "Uncorked" intrigues with its sincere portrayal about the chase of dreams against familial obligations, hence being very rewarding and inspiring in its look.