98% Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a mouth watering, passionate documentary about the worlds' most acclaimed Sushi chef, and I'm not sure whether to recommend eating first, or going to the film hungry. No sushi that you have at your local $6.99 lunch special could possibly live up to the ideals (just by looking at his creations) that the obsessive compulsive Jiro reveals on director Gelb's HD camera. No sushi at your $100 per person with Sake will live up to it either.The quiet reverence in which Jiro is held by all the characters in the film, (a food critic, his sushi chef sons - terrified of letting down their fathers exacting legacy, the fish market and rice vendors) eventually rubs off on any viewer of this film. The man's obsessive compulsion and striving for excellence, even in his 85th year are truly humbling, especially for those of us who feel like we are too easy going and need to work on our attention to detail. The film delves into Jiro's early life. He was born poor and abandoned by his parents, yet possessed an inexorable inner drive that carried him to the height of sushi making. The film implies that this inner drive is innate, and makes me wish I had more of it myself. However, the film doesn't quite reveal how Jiro became Jiro. This much is clear - the man simply will not settle for anything less than full blown excellence, from the tunas he buys for his shop, to the work of his revolving door of apprentices and most emotionally, his terrified yet proud sons. He has no interests in life, except for making better and better sushi, and as in the title, this is what he sees in his dreams. Therefore, I'm not sure he'd be the most delightful company at a party but he's great company in this film. The film opens up at the fish market with Jiro's son shopping for the days ingredients, and a strange, mostly unexplained trip that Jiro makes to meet his childhood friends in his home village (that where the above mentioned grave scene takes place). He is like a hometown boy made good and everyone gets their picture taken with the maestro.Gelb uses a very simple storytelling technique by letting the players tell their own stories as pertaining to Jiro. Jiro himself is open and self critical, and answers all questions honestly, but he is not a poetic man with any kind of Freudian insight to his inner workings. We can see him at the grave of his parents, dutifully honoring them, then under his breath he says 'I don't know why I take care of them. They never took care of me.' A staggering and deep insight, one of the only ones in the film, but that's all you get. As for style, it effective but not very arty or pretentious. Gelb lets the HD sushi in close ups tell their own delicious story. As for people, we are mostly in close ups, and close quarters at Jiro's joint. Amazingly, Jiro does not have a lavish restaurant, but a hole in the wall in the lobby of an office building where he serves her creations at a 10 seat establishment that is reserved at least a month in advance. The film is very narrowly focused, and it does not hold interest for its entire 81 minute running time. It would been a more effective piece at about an hour or less, but I recommend it most highly, though it may not appeal much to non-foodies.

April 13, 2012

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