"Jiro Dreams of Sushi" Review

Tonight's movie was a documentary feature that I've been wanting to check out for some time now.  I had first noticed David Gelb's "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" on RottenTomatoes.com as part of a list of movies that were "Certified Fresh" in theaters back in the spring.  On the site, it posted a 99% critics rating and a 93% audience approval rating.  This indicated to me right away that it had to be a good movie, but it just didn't peak my fancy at the time.  This isn't the type of film I would make a point of trying to see in theaters.  But now that it's on Netflix, I decided to give it a look. 

"Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is a documentary that profiles sushi chef Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old master whose 10-seat, $300-a-plate restaurant is legendary among Tokyo foodies, according to the Netflix synopsis.  It seems like a pretty simple concept, and as one critic of Jiro's famous sushi notes, "Ultimate simplicity leads to purity".  

And it's true because this is an outstanding feature.  It's beautifully made and offers food-for-thought long after the credits roll.  For a foodie and sushi lover like me, I was hooked like an ahi tuna from the first few minutes.  I enjoyed seeing the presentations of mouthwatering varieties of sushi and learning about the techniques associated with preparing them.  

Although I will say that I think you really have to enjoy seafood and cooking technique to totally appreciate this movie.  A variety of edible sea creatures are present throughout, both living and dead, and the only real "action scenes" are when the chefs are hard at work preparing the sushi.  I can see how it might fail to grasp the attention of some, but I found it tremendously entertaining.  3.5 of 4 stars.