Quarantine Binge: "Uncorked" (2020) Review
Editor’s Note: With no new theatrical releases for the foreseeable future, we will be reviewing a variety of old and new films that are available to stream on popular services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. For a full ranking of films in this series and to find our other reviews, please follow this link.
Plot synopsis courtesy of IMDb.com: “Elijah must balance his dream of becoming a master sommelier with his father's expectations that he carry on the family's Memphis BBQ joint.”
Directed by: Prentice Penny (Insecure)
Written by: Prentice Penny
Cinematography by: Elliot Davis (Out of Sight)
Starring: Courtney B. Vance (The Hunt for Red October), Mamoudou Athie (The Circle) and Sasha Compère (Miracle Workers)
Uncorked is rated TV-MA.
Uncorked is a Netflix original film that centers around Elijah (Mamoudou Athie), an aspiring wine sommelier from Memphis. In a somewhat familiar fashion, Elijah’s own dreams feel at odds with his father’s (Courtney B. Vance) aspirations for Elijah to take over the family’s barbecue restaurant. As Elijah moves down the path of becoming a sommelier, the wedge between he and his father continues to grow, setting up a traditional clash between family and aspirations.
While it is an interesting look into the rigors of studying to be a sommelier initially, Uncorked is a difficult film to be sucked into. Little is explained about the profession past the exposition of the film and, as a result, I often felt outmatched as Elijah and his peers studied the various intricacies of wine tasting. Writer and director Prentice Penny has clearly done his research into the craft but the film itself isn’t accessible enough for a non-aficionado such as me.
With such an unfamiliar subject matter, Athie does a great job portraying Elijah as likable and approachable. He doesn’t have much room in the script to stretch his wings emotionally but creates a character who feels familiar enough to be relatable nonetheless. Athie and Sasha Compère (who plays Elijah’s girlfriend, Tanya) work well on-screen together, even if the development of their relationship in the script falls a little short.
The script itself is lacking not only character development but also a central obstacle to drive the story. It is riddled with tribulations that appear momentarily, only to fizzle out of relevance in subsequent scenes. Uncorked is photographed purposefully and has a great soundtrack but often seems more like a collection of needle drops than a full narrative.
Uncorked isn’t a bad film by any means, even if it is difficult to engage with and a bit of a slog to get through. It is the type of niche film that has an interesting backdrop with a unique angle that never quite justifies being a feature-length film. While I have definitely seen worse, Uncorked is worth watching while folding laundry or baking and falls short of expectations for an attentive audience.
Reel Rating: 4/10
Uncorked was released on March 27, 2020, and is available to stream on Netflix.
