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Trailer Review: Jiro Dreams of Sushi

It’s embarrassing to say (because we all like to think of ourselves as involved intellectuals who have the acumen to just know things, or maybe that’s just me. Whatever), but the reason I was introduced to Jiro Dreams of Sushi was because it was the sole fresh review, over 90%, on the rotten tomatoes homepage. Not that I’m surprised that all present “theater-worthy” films are terrible, but you never think that they ALL suck .

So, I clicked on the link wondering what this diamond among the filth was all about. And I have to say, I was blown away. What I thought was a short Ghibli-esqu film about a gnome with a sleep disorder turned out to be a documentary about Japan’s most acclaimed sushi chef. From the short 2 minutes I spent in Jiro’s small sushi bar, nestled away in a Tokyo subway station, I was instantly transported into another world. It’s most likely due to the editing (I still scream at the moments at :23 and :29,) but every action taken by the man who was named a national treasure of Japan seemed magical. The sushi, the fish, even the wriggling octopus had an ethereal quality to it. If the film is as precisely crafted as this trailer, the viewer will be allowed a glimpse into the mind of a master, and be allowed to see the same beauty, energy and potential that Jiro sees in these otherwise unnoticed and unappreciated objects.

When anyone takes pride in what they do, and becomes the best of anything, it turns that something into a carefully crafted art, even if you never considered it as that before. It’s like Jiro says, “I’ll continue to climb, trying to reach the top. But no one knows where the top is!” Sushi suddenly becomes an endless search for perfection, and isn’t that something we can all relate to? This trailer definitely wins cannes.

Anyway, I’m super excited. Watch the trailer below and hopefully you’ll be as pumped as I am!