Film Review: Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Directed by David Gelb
Magnolia Pictures
Rated: PG
Synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes:

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world's greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro's sushi bar.At the heart of this story is Jiro's relationship with his eldest son Yoshikazu, the worthy heir to Jiro's legacy, who is unable to live up to his full potential in his father's shadow. -- (C) Magnolia

Review:

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this film going into it. It's not really a documentary I would have chosen to watch in most cases, but something about it intrigued me. The film is about an 85 year-old sushi chef in Japan, which I know doesn't sound all that interesting, but somehow it is. This film made me extremely interested in sushi chefs actually, which isn't something I ever thought I would say.

Jiro is known as one of the best sushi chefs in the world, and he is incredibly serious about what he does. It seemed incredibly unreal to me how expensive his sushi was, but you can see in the film how much work goes into it. His apprentices have to be extremely dedicated and work for years to become a sushi chef. They're unbelievably dedicated to their work and making the best sushi possible. I'm going to bet that Jiro's sushi is unlike any sushi that most people have eaten. It's fascinating to watch the process of the sushi being made and listening to them talk about the work that goes into it. Everything has to be perfect, and Jiro works all of his apprentices hard to make sure that they learn how to do everything perfectly.

I recommend this documentary to everyone, even if it doesn't seem like something you would like. I didn't have that high of expectations at first, but it ended up really drawing me in. It was a fascinating look at something that I'd never really given much thought to before.