Prentice Penny has written for Girlfriends, Insecure and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but Uncorked is his first shot at directing a feature film. Did he manage to make an absolute corker? Our Screen Co-Editor, George White, thinks he came pretty close...
Director: Prentice Penny
Starring: Courtney B. Vance, Lashun Pollard, Michael Mobley
Running time: 104 minutes
Uncorked follows a young man, Elijah (Mamoudou Athie), as he chooses to pursue a career as a master sommelier (that’s professional wine taster for the less sophisticated among us), at the expense of inheriting his father’s BBQ restaurant.
The world of wine tasting may not sound particularly riveting, but filmmaker Prentice Penny uses it as a base for one of the sharpest and most reflective movies of the year so far. It isn’t revolutionary, but this introspective study of ambition versus realism is underpinned by refreshingly smart dialogue and some stunning visual work - and it is definitely worth checking out.
Where the film struggles is in its ability to provide original narrative beats. Uncorked follows the traditional plot points of the underdog story so closely that it loses some of its impact on the audience; the storytelling devices of difficult family dynamics, demoralising professional setbacks and central character deaths feel frustratingly familiar.
Yet where the movie sets itself apart from its rivals is in its witty, charming dialogue. Character interactions feel natural, and the characters themselves seem real and authentic. The film’s attempts at humour land with impressive regularity, with Penny’s previous work on comedies such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine consistently shining through. While certainly not an outright comedy itself, Uncorked manages to provide more laughs than most modern movies in the genre, its subtle script amusing the audience without the need for slapstick comedy or overly animated line delivery.
Prentice Penny shows an extraordinary level of sophistication in his first feature film
Within the moments of humour, Penny also instills a sense of introspection and poignancy into the movie. Yes, much of the narrative lacks anything particularly groundbreaking, but the film does a solid job of establishing a connection between the audience and the characters; you feel Elijah’s struggles, and you root for him from start to finish. The settings for the film, both geographically and thematically, add a sense of identity to the production, offering at least some difference to previous flicks of a similar vein.
Penny’s creative direction also feels fresh, his use of inventive camerawork allowing the audience to immerse themselves in this family’s world. The direction is perfectly complemented by Elliot Davisalso’s cinematography, which manages to inject colour and elegance into each of Penny’s scenes. This is a truly stunning film that finds beauty in simplicity; merely watching Athie cruise around Memphis is a visual treat.
Mamoudou Athie captures the spirit of the movie with effortless grace, displaying remarkable maturity through his layered portrayal of the troubled yet ambitious Elijah. Niecy Nash is incredible as the lead’s mother, Sylvia, providing a constant stream of hilarity throughout the film while adding depth and compassion to her character. And credit must be given to Gil Ozeri, who also supplies memorable moments of humour as Richie, Elijah’s wine tasting classmate.
However, it is impossible not to feel that the vastly experienced Courtney B. Vance is somewhat underused as Elijah’s father, Louis. The spiky relationship between Elijah and himself leads to some effective emotional beats, but it takes a long time to get to this pay-off - with Vance having to settle for the relatively straightforward, uninspired role of disappointed dad for far too much of the film.
A slight lack of narrative imagination isn’t enough to stop Uncorked from leaving an impact on the audience, though, with its slick dialogue and visual imagination leading to an enjoyable and reflective tale of ambition and endeavour. Prentice Penny shows an extraordinary level of sophistication in his first feature film, and provides one of the biggest surprises of the year so far.
Did you know? Prentice Penny listed Chef and Whiplash as inspirations for the film.
Uncorked is now available on Netflix
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