Everyone should be so lucky as Jiro Ono, who early on found his calling and has spent most of his 85 years doing the thing that he enjoys and that gives his life meaning. His life is simple and orderly; his Tokyo sushi bar is small, with ten seats, serving unadorned sushi and nothing else, save a slice of melon after the meal. His customers book a month in advance and pay a minimum of 30,000 yen for an experience that may last as little as 15 minutes. Jiro has two sons; the elder works for him, and the younger one runs a place that is the literal mirror image of Jiro’s, since Jiro is left-handed and he is not.
Except for the rumblings in your stomach, this documentary (by American David Gelb, but entirely in Japanese) provokes the calmness felt by its primary subject. We learn a little about his history (with gaps), a little about his techniques and his suppliers, and a lot about his philosophy, whose essence is to work hard and repeat until you achieve perfection. Jiro has not yet achieved perfection, he believes, but, according to the food critic interviewed here, who purports to have tried all of the sushi in Tokyo, he is the best.
Those indifferent to Gelb’s luscious close-ups of sushi may be less impressed with this film, but even the mildest of foodies will likely find something to appreciate in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, whose inspirational quality (heightened with music by Phillip Glass) is an alternative to the bustling Food Channel vibe.
viewed 3/22/2012 7:00 pm at Ritz East [Landmark Film Club screening] and reviewed 3/22/2012
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