Who knew competitive cheese mongering could be this exhilarating?
“The Big Cheese” takes a subject that sounds tailor made for niche audiences and turns it into one of the year’s most entertaining underdog stories. Director Sara Joe Wolansky follows a scrappy team of American cheesemongers as they prepare to compete at France’s Mondial du Fromage (the self-proclaimed “Olympics of Cheese”), where European competitors have long dominated the field. By the time the competition begins, the film has all the momentum of a championship sports movie, complete with colorful personalities, mounting pressure, and emotional stakes that get pretty tense.
For the uninitiated, a cheesemonger is essentially the cheese world’s version of a sommelier. It’s a profession that rarely gets much recognition here in the United States, and that’s something team coach Adam “Mister Moo” Moskowitz is determined to change. His mission is bigger than winning medals. Mister Moo wants respect for American cheesemongers on the international stage, and he assembles an eclectic group of passionate competitors willing to dedicate themselves to a craft most people barely realize exists.
That commitment is what makes the film so compelling. These aren’t hobbyists casually sampling Brie and the occasional aged English cheddar. They’re obsessive students of texture, aroma, aging, and presentation, approaching cheese with the focus of elite athletes. Their enthusiasm is infectious, but the film never assumes viewers share that passion. However, if you already love cheese, you’re going to be fascinated by this film on a totally different level.
Wolansky smartly structures the documentary around a countdown to the Mondial du Fromage, creating an escalating sense of anticipation as training intensifies. Competitors rehearse elaborate cheese displays, memorize flavor profiles, and refine every tiny detail before facing judges who treat cheese with near sacred reverence. The competition itself unfolds like a season finale of “Top Chef,” filled with meticulous preparation, split second setbacks, and plenty of anxiety over softening wheels of cheese that refuse to cooperate.
Along the way, the documentary becomes about much more than dairy. It explores what happens when a profession evolves into a life’s calling, examining the sacrifices, insecurities, and relentless drive that accompany total devotion to an unconventional craft. The Americans aren’t simply chasing a trophy, but are fighting decades of European tradition while trying to prove they belong in a world that has rarely taken them seriously.
The film also celebrates the camaraderie and community these competitors have built around their shared obsession. It’s an eccentric collection of personalities for sure, but the teams all feel like very close knit groups of people who have found identity, purpose, and confidence through a wholly unique profession.
Wolansky keeps the pacing brisk and the storytelling playful without sacrificing the genuine tension of the competition. The colorful visuals, energetic editing, and countdown structure prevent the documentary from slipping into the dry, technical territory that often plagues food films. Even viewers with no particular interest in cheese will find themselves invested in every round of judging.
“The Big Cheese” accomplishes something unexpected. It’s a quirky food documentary on the surface, but underneath it’s a thrilling sports story about perseverance, belonging, and the pursuit of excellence in one of the world’s most delightfully specialized professions. You may come for the cheese, but you’ll stay for the people whose passion makes every bite matter.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 