The documentary “Beer Wars” simultaneously demonstrates what is best and worst about America.  The best comes from the hundreds of brewers who have rejected the notion that Americans only have a taste for the nearly tasteless light pilsners concocted by Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors and who have devoted their lives to creating and selling better beers.  The worst comes in the form of the outmoded laws that effectively give the mega-breweries control of beer distribution in America, as well as the Washington lobbyists and interest groups who spend millions of dollars every year to keep the notorious three-tier system in place.

There are certainly many other industries where the same kind of story (passionate upstarts vs. corporate behemoths) could have been told, but the American beer industry is currently in such a state of hyperactivity that it would be difficult to find a more entertaining subject.  Filmmaker Anat Baron, although she appears in the documentary, does a good job of staying out of the way and letting the fascinating personalities of the beer world tell this story.  From Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione (think:  telegenic surfer dude with a brain and a heart and a rapidly growing company) to President of the National Beer Wholesalers Association David Rehr (think:  this man would say or do anything for money and may quite possibly have a forked tongue), Baron’s camera rarely lingers upon anyone or anything that isn’t interesting in some way.

“Beer Wars” premiered on April 16 with a simulcast in 440 theaters across the U.S., followed by a live Q&A with some of the brewers and experts who appear in the documentary (including Ambitious Brew author and friend of The Urban Elitist, historian Maureen Ogle).  The theater where I caught it, the Chelsea Clearview in NYC, was about 95% full (two other theaters in town were also showing it), and the audience there certainly reacted positively.  A spontaneous cheer arose when the Yuengling segment began and ruddy, fifth generation owner Dick Yuengling appeared on the screen (PA in the house?).  And there was a collective gasp when the film revealed all of the beers that Anheuser-Busch imports and distributes:  Bass Ale, Boddingtons, Beck’s, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Stella Artois and several others.  In case you’ve ever wondered why these imports and not others are so prominent in the U.S., Anheuser-Busch’s involvement is the reason (not necessarily consumer demand).

The problem for the rest of you is that there’s no evidence that “Beer Wars” will have an ongoing theatrical release.  This, I suspect, will change, but get it in your Netflix Queue, just in case.

P.S.  Beer distributors are SUPER CREEPY!

Only absurdly optimistic white middle-class American kids could possibly believe that anything at all could be accomplished doing silly stuff like this.  Also, a background droan is a neat trick to give your documentary that ominous feel.

Sometimes a work of art can be retroactively diminished after its technique has gained influence in the popular culture.  Sometimes a little humor makes the nearly unwatchable rather watchable.

You have never before seen a film about adultery in a Mennonite community in Mexico as beautiful as this one.  Do you think you will like scenes that dare to last longer than 1-2 minutes?  Can you appreciate a cinematic technique that relies upon moving images more than action or dialogue to tell a story?  This is a truly beautiful movie.

On the other hand, my wife passionately hated the entire experience of watching it.

Far stranger than the lengths to which a person will go in pursuit of his passion are the sacrifices others are willing to make in order to help him.

Less sexual than expected.  Stranger than expected.  Better than expected.  Hard to believe this film resulted in Bernardo Bertolucci having his voting rights suspended for five years (as if voting rights mean much in Italy).

Maria Schneider did alright, though I far prefer her performance in Antonioni’s totally awesome “The Passenger.”

The best thing about it by far was Brando’s performance (and his profile).  Wow.

Why don’t filmmakers just have fun with the medium like this more often?

Money.

Why don’t women wear nicely designed clothes in bright colors like these more often?

Conformity.

People with money should give it to filmmakers who understand cinema and want to play with it.

Women should slavishly emulate Anna Karina instead of each other.

So Werner Herzog has a sense of humor.

Egomaniacs may be unusually well-suited to making beautifully original movies.  Netflix it (or better yet, rent it from your poor, struggling independently owned video shop, while it still lasts).

An amazing location and energetic direction can more than compensate for a fantastical story line that you’ve already experienced too many times.  The concept of destiny is not nearly as interesting or inspiring as human perseverance in the face of brutality.  See it on the big screen.

If you ever have a few hours to kill during a snowstorm and feel like seeing a beautifully shot Swedish movie about a lonely 12 year-old vampire girl and the lonely 12 year-old boy she falls in love with, you could do a hell of a lot worse than this one.

Wong, I love you.  Now please go back to Hong Kong.

Jump cut Jimmy makes me nauseous.

Don’t see it with a hangover.  Or without a hangover.