REVIEW: Jiro Dreams of Sushi

 There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his business in the basement of a Tokyo office building, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.

THE GOOD: Story. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a film that features a good story. Yes, it's a documentary because much of it is based on factual information, but documentaries and film both have story in common. I've talked a lot about stories this year in my movie reviews. It really is essential to making a good movie. Looking back, this has been a great year for cinema. Sure, some movies don't make the money they deserve (Cabin in the Woods), some have earned too much cash for their own good (The Avengers), and some were involved in tragic events (The Dark Knight Rises). But there have been a lot of original stories this year, and that is something to celebrate. I can already tell that my top 20 this year is going to be near impossible to write. Back to Jiro though, this is a story that you think you've heard. Jiro Ono is the only sushi chef to be awarded three Michelin stars, as well as the oldest. Did he study hard in school and have good parents that raised him right? No. Wait... what!? In the film, Jiro explains that he was a bully in school. He left his parents at just nine years old and was forced to fend for himself. Through perseverance and hard work, Jiro has become the best sushi chef in the whole world. His attention to detail and will to constantly improve on his work goes to show how far one can go when they really put their mind to it. Even when you are happy with where you're at and you're the best at it, there is always room for improvement. I wish more people in America had this type of mindset. It's not common to find a person who came from a broken home become successful. I've always known the importance of having good parents. There are those who argue that parents are indeed important, but it's more self-reliance than anything. That's totally fine with me if Americans had attitudes like Jiro, but they don't. We get comfortable in our state. Even me. I have a good job, making good money, and have a nice house. But there is better out there. It's just a matter of me putting in the effort to make things happen. I'm already in love with what I do, so I've got that going for me.

Jiro thinks you can stick that conveyor belt suggestion right up your arse.

David Gelb. Director David Gelb's original goal was to make a documentary film like BBC's Planet Earth, but about sushi. He accomplished this, in my opinion, but I don't think he did it the way he expected. People encouraged Gelb to not just make a general movie about sushi, but to hone in on Jiro Ono. Getting to Jiro was not going to be easy. There was a time when he would not let people take pictures inside his restaurant. Thankfully, Gelb got in touch with Japanese food writer Masuhiro Yamamoto and the critic was able to convince Jiro to let Gelb make this movie. In a way, Gelb's documentary is a great example of Jiro's philosophy. He worked hard and never gave up to make this film. It currently has a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best reviewed films of the year. It won the World Cinema Audience award at last year's AFI Fest. Gelb is now circling various TV and film projects and will likely have a successful career. But will he push himself even further and become the master at his craft?

Cinematography. Gelb is also the cinematographer for his film. He lugged around a Red One Camera all over Japan to capture the stunning images of sushi, markets, Tokyo, and more. As a huge fan of Japanese culture, I was very happy to see a lot of the city and surroundings. Tokyo is my #1 place that I want to visit because I think the city is just gorgeous. Modern technology mixed with old school style just really amazes me for some reason. That, and my love for anime and photography really makes Tokyo the ideal place for me to vacation. David Gelb also used a Canon EOS 7D for some of his shots, and that looks great, too.

Soundtrack. Gelb loves Philip Glass and you can tell when you watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi. There are nine songs by the American composer in this film and it works so well. Joining Glass on the soundtrack are three Max Richter compositions, Tchaikovsky, Werner Hagen, Mozart, and Bach. Genius composers for a genius sushi chef. I wish the soundtrack was available for purchase.

If you don't like Jiro's sushi, the team will be prepared to beat you up.

THE BAD: Nothing.


THE END: I don't like sushi. Raw foods are just not for me (my tummy doesn't do well with them either). However, I respect the craft. More than that, I respect the folks who really take the time to perfect a cuisine. If I didn't mind spending $300 and booking a month in advance for a sushi dinner, I would definitely try to eat at Sukiyabashi Jiro. I can stomach one night if it means that there is a chance that this could be the best thing I've ever eaten. Like sushi fanatics who seek out the best sushi restaurants in town, as a film lover, I seeked out this movie when it had a limited run in theatres. It did end up playing here in Seattle, but my schedule never fit right. Thankfully, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is on Netflix Watch Instantly now, so I urge you to watch this film as soon as you can. Last year, I surprised some folks by putting a snowboarding documentary in my top five. It's quite possible that this film might make it two years in a row.


DISCUSS: What did you think of Jiro Dreams of Sushi? Do you like sushi? Would you eat at Jiro's? What inspired you most about the film? What is your favorite documentary of the year so far?

 ...and alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.