the noodle western of dreams, grounded in charming, irresistible goof that whets the palate and savors each individual moment and detail found within the universal binding force of food—in the dramatics of life, and death. Tampopo laces its rambunctious reverie of ramen and person with immaculate, almost impossible sprawls of tangling characters of various trades and temperaments together into the melting-pot commonplace where all converge into simple singularity—Juzo Itami excels in amplifying the narrative with keen attention to all components responsible for submerging into the gratifying sense of taste, where a comical aura guides the free-spirited nature of purely getting better-acquainted with a dish, and exhibiting the importance of production, both within the film, and through its broken fourth wall. every bite, slurp, chew, and swallow come with a smile, performed with reflections of euphoria properly teetering on a line of farce and solemnity for peak amusement that piques a distinct interest.

1980s
2022 Favorite First-Viewings
Letterboxd Top 250 - Ranked