Crafting a Nation (2013)

Just perfect...

Crappy film

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

(Flash Review)The angle this documentary took was to show the hard grit and determination it takes to start a craft brewery so ignore Budweiser and Miller beers and support your local breweries. Well, duh…anyone watching this probably isn't a High Life drinker. It focused on many cities where craft beer has taken off. And we get to see a few breweries and follow them and the hurdles they must overcome to get their brewery up and running. The documentary wasn't very exciting or interesting as I didn't really learn anything new aside from how much Joe Blow sacrifices to start their dream. They didn't highlight many different types of beers, it was more about the culture. I guess if you are a beer person, this is an OK watch. Otherwise, avoid it.

I wanted to like this film, but it turned into a long, very well-made advertisement aimed at white guys in their 30s who might have enough cash and collateral to start their own microbrewery, and somehow this AD winnowed its way into Netflix streaming. Very little about craft beer - except it's way better than AB/InBev and Coors (and it is!) - but a REAL documentary would address how fascistic the monster corporate beer companies that make yellow fizzy-water have been toward the artisans trying to get their stuff distributed. Among other things. The folksy music seems designed to to keep you hypnotized and ready to shell out for all the capital you'll need to try to make a go in the craft brewing game. Very little historical context, too repetitive, but it looks really good and the sentiments about craft brews and sociality and culture and sustainability seem true enough. But yea: glossy ad.

I make my own beer and have done so for several years, so this documentary about the growing craft brewing craze in the States is the sort of things that I should love...but I didn't. Now I am not saying it's a bad film but I didn't learn a whole lot nor will most viewers. Instead, they hear story after story about folks and their passion to brew...which is nice but didn't sustain and entire film. And, if I make beer and felt Luke-warm about it, imagine how the average viewer who is NOT a craft beer fan will feel about it!The film interviews many folks...ranging from tiny startups to successful microbreweries to mega-breweries like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada. Along with this, there is a lot of loud folksy music...which to me was a bit invasive. Instead of watching this, just go out and find yourself a good microbrew and enjoy.Overall, mildly interesting and mildly inspiring.