I admit that when I was first asked to see this film I had no idea what it was about. I wasn't expecting a documentary and when the film began I soon became so interested in this man's real life story that I forgot I had come expecting to see a fictional one. The film focuses on one man's passion to provide the most excellent sushi and his personal conviction to continually strive to perfect his craft. Never believing he has reached perfection, but striving for it with all he has to give. Jiro's relationship with his two sons is interesting and the film shows how the elder son will be expected to take over his father's restaurant while the younger son must rely on the name and reputation of his fathers legacy to build his own. One of the stand-out moments to me was the description of the menu. No fancy food titles, no variety in the menu or social ambiance. You come only to taste the best sushi. You come, eat, and go. That simple. It is all about the art of simplicity and perfection. Choosing one thing and dedicating your life to doing it well. I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it as a glimpse into contemporary Japanese culture combined with real-life examples of a continued reverence and appreciation of family and tradition.
edited by dsciarrotta on 12/29/2012
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Jiro Dreams of Sushi
01/14/2013 04:35 AM
#1
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
I agree with you about the ideas of legacy and perfecting ones craft, etc. In the U.S., it would be hard to imagine that a chef could reach such "super star" status making, let's say, hamburgers. Nonetheless, there was also a kind of "self-righteousness" that I found quite irritating. Many times, for instance, Jiro and his sons repeated that "it wasn't about the money".... I think that if I were paying 30.000 yen or more for a 3-course dinner I would be pissed off if I got a "lady-like" portion of sushi, an expression of Jiro's commitment to understanding his clientele. I would want my "manly"-sized one and would prefer to eat it without its crafter staring me down while I ate it.
I enjoyed reading your review and will be checking out this movie when time allows me to do so. I appreciate your mentioning of choosing one thing and dedicating one's life to perfecting that craft. As Americans, I think we often feel we have to be good at everything, and in turn we expose our children to as much as we can. Kids are enrolled in art classes, ballet, baseball, basketball, football, swimming, and music lessons. Many of today's children are overbooked and overstressed, and I wish they could settle on one activity and learn how to get really good at it and enjoy it. Even to "make it" in Hollywood these days, actors and actresses need to know how to sing, act, dance, and perform in more ways than required before.
I enjoyed this film as well. But what I was left thinking of was the "dark side" or the "shadow side" of Jiro. I mean, this man's son is 53 years old. The level of control and power, well, it scares me. I appreciate this man's dedication to his craft, but at then end of the day... What about his son?
I love this movie, and it always makes me reconsider the restaurants that I frequent after watching this film. The attention to detail and the torture of preparation in sushi restaurants makes me appreciate the food more and more each time I take a bite of sashimi or sushi. I would love to experience a $500 sitting, but reality has me eating more Yoshinoya than at Jiro's place.