Synopsis
Fall in love with your work
Revered sushi chef Jiro Ono strives for perfection in his work, while his eldest son, Yoshikazu, has trouble living up to his father's legacy.
2011 Directed by David Gelb
Revered sushi chef Jiro Ono strives for perfection in his work, while his eldest son, Yoshikazu, has trouble living up to his father's legacy.
Ross M. Dinerstein Scott Prisand Matt Weaver Ed Ojdana Chris Kelly Stefan Nowicki Joey Carey Jeffrey C. Norman Jeremy Umland
寿司之神, O Sushi dos Sonhos de Jiro, 스시 장인: 지로의 꿈, Мечты Дзиро о суши, 二郎は鮨の夢を見る, じろうはすしのゆめをみる, Jiro und das beste Sushi der Welt, Jiro e l'arte del sushi, ג'ירו חלומות של סושי, Sushiálmok, Jiro śni o sushi, Сны Дзиро о суши, 壽司之神, Sushimestari Jiron unelma, Jirōovy vysněné sushi
something very charming about an old man that only cares about one thing, even if he seems to be kinda shitty outside the one thing
As a culture, we don’t put a lot of stock in the pursuit of mastery. Sure, we’ll cheer for Michael Jordan and clap for Yo Yo Ma, but if we can find some way to destroy you (Tiger Woods, anyone?) we will. It seems, eventually, that the pursuit of mastery is some sort of threat on our tendencies toward the mediocre. This is where we find ourselves.
Enter Jiro. Jiro is the best sushi maker in the world. Really. He has no other passions, no other drives. He is 100% devoted to the pursuit of mastery in his field. It’s something you don’t see every day and, more importantly, something to aspire to.
This movie isn’t about how the world…
I watched this on the plane, eating a pre-packaged meal from American Airlines, and I felt like the biggest piece of shit.
Stylistically, this is a fairly conventional documentary. It features a lot of talking heads and voice overs, is way too heavy handed in the transitions department, and could have done with a better cinematographer, especially outside the restaurant.
However, Jiro Dreams of Sushi overcomes some of the mundane techniques with its fascinating subject matter and its adept handling of the narrative.
Jiro's restaurant is in a subway station in Japan. If you want to eat there, be prepared to reserve several weeks (at least) in advance. It is about the art of making sushi, the man who makes the best, the men he has trained for years (in some cases, decades), the relationship between fathers and sons, and Japanese society,…
The topic makes this film. Who doesn’t love Sushi? Well, some, but that’s not the point— these people wouldn’t watch this in the first place, anyway. Jiro Dreams of Sushi just does one thing very right, it documents Jiro Ono and his restaurant, but it doesn’t go much further or any further, I would argue. There was a lot of potential for a much more philosophical film about parenthood, influences and work. How you want to spend your life, what you want to do with your life and what’s important in life.
Jiro Ono himself was terribly influenced by his father and thrown out of this home by the age of 9 to search work, which heavily shaped who Jiro…
Werner Herzog once famously shouted, at a convention for documentarians, that these filmmakers should be more than a fly on a wall, that they should sting and provoke.
This mentality is what Jiro Dreams of Sushi lacks, as its refusal to interrogate or challenge its subject matter leave it as a deification of toxic, and overtly masculine, perfectionism. Herzog’s craft can certainly links to what is shown here (Fitzcarraldo being the prime example) but the text of his films at least unpicks this. In this doc we have bland craft and an uncomfortable portrait of a complex subject.
This feels like a televisual dedication that’s eager to skip over any controversy. Jiro’s dictatorial perfectionism has damaged those around him and…
Jiro's mastery is evident, but there's nothing really inspired about this semi-bland documentary whose creativity is at Food Network level. Needed more flavor.
*I ate at his kid's Roppongi Hills location and I'll never forget it.