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Director David Gelb serves up a fascinating – if slightly oversimplified – documentary profiling a bonafide Japanese sushi master and his lifelong pursuit of perfection. The Blu-ray release is a solid one all-around, from its audio and video presentation to its collection of bonus material.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray keepcase
Year: 2011
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1:22:28
MSRP: $29.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
VC-1: 1080p high definition 1.78:1
High definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Japanese 5.1
Stereo
Subtitles
English, English SDH, Spanish
English
The Feature: 4/5
Perfectionists are a funny breed. They’ll readily admit their goal of attaining a flawless “whatever” is beyond reach, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. They find comfort, satisfaction, and even pleasure in the pursuit of their high ideals, and more often than not society reaps the benefits, be it in a service, art, or technology.
Perfectionists usually get a bad rap though, because the excesses of the trait can lead to a demanding, overbearing quality in their interactions with others and, more critically, themselves. The perfect perfectionist, as it were, is ultimately one who has learned to temper their expectations with doses of realism and humanity, but too often finding that balance remains elusive for those who commit so much of themselves to a singular ideal.
While director David Gelb’s fascinating documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is firstly about the art of preparing sushi by an undeniable master of the craft, it is ultimately about the pursuit of perfection and its effects.
The benefits of Chef Jiro Ono’s longstanding commitment are obvious. Seventy-Five years of hard work and devotion to making the best possible sushi have resulted in his Tokyo restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, receiving a rare three-star rating by the prestigious Michelin Guide Book. Chefs the world over affirm the score by describing the cuisine – which consists entirely of traditional sushi dishes (none of that California Roll stuff) – as the best they’ve ever had. In order to dine at his humble, 10-seat establishment, located underground in a subway station, reservations need to be made at least a month in advance.
The downsides to Jiro’s work ethic and high standards can be assumed, but not necessarily confirmed.
While both of his sons have followed in his footsteps, and ascribe to the same ideals, they remain in his shadow. Yoshikazu, the elder son, in particular has the most to live up to, as he works alongside his father at Sukiyabashi and is heir apparent to the 85-year old chef’s legacy. When the inevitable eventually happens, the pressure to maintain the same level of quality will be enormous. As one former apprentice describes it, the son will need be twice as good as the father just to be seen as his equal.
For Takashi, the younger son, the demands are less intense. He’s already struck out on his own with a sushi restaurant that is more casual in feel, but no less high minded about its menu. Though no doubt both children experienced great expectations from their father growing up, especially when it came to their training in the craft, interactions between the family members appear affectionate and respectful. If anything, they seem more like colleagues than father and sons or even master and apprentices, though small jokes between the three suggest it took some time for the relationship to get to that place.
Which raises the question of whether Jiro, in the process of becoming a master of sushi, also learned the secret to perfectionism, how to balance an unwavering devotion to his profession with the finer points of being a father, husband, and teacher. Though the documentary seems to skirt the edges of this question of balance, preferring to show Jiro as a strict sushi workaholic, the deleted scenes included on the Blu-ray release provide a more revealing look at the man. Which leads to the chief criticism about the film – that the filmmakers tend to oversimplify matters, whereas presenting a more complex individual would have made Jiro even more compelling as a subject.
Video Quality: 4/5
Presented in 1080p with the VC-1 codec, the transfer is framed at an 1.78:1 and features strong blacks, uncompromised contrast, and pleasing depth of color despite a largely neutral palette – a result of the film’s available light cinematography. Detail and sharpness look great, with no signs of digital noise reduction or sharpening measures. There are some patches of noise in midtone and shadow areas, and gradients show posterizing effects, though the artifacts don’t appear frequently enough to be considered a major distraction.
Audio Quality: 4/5
Dialogue in the Japanese language 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is consistently crisp and detailed. Surround channels provide light support for the soundtrack, but are otherwise unused. LFE is non-existent, but the track exhibits a satisfactory depth and range for the dialogue-driven piece.
Special Features: 3.5/5
Commentary by Director David Gelb and Editor Brandon Driscoll-Luttringer: The filmmakers turn in a casual, but informative track describing the various challenges of shooting in another country and techniques used to capture some of the compelling imagery.
Deleted Scenes (20:50, HD) The biggest take-away from the unused material is that Jiro is a little more balanced in his life than the film suggests. Understandably, the filmmakers chose to focus the documentary on the chef’s singular pursuit, but at the same time it kind of misrepresents the man as having nothing else going on in his life.
Masters: The vendors who supply Jiro’s restaurant talk about the nuances of their products.
Sushi Gallery (2:06, HD): Beauty shots of various types of nigiri sushi.
Theatrical Trailer (2:07, HD)
Trailers
Recap
The Film: 4/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 3.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
Magnolia Home Entertainment delivers a fine audio and video presentation for a documentary exploring the work of a Tokyo sushi master and his commitment to perfection. The special features, through its deleted scenes, provide additional insights into the man, though ironically they also undermine some of the documentary’s narrative. Nevertheless, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” makes for a fascinating look at both a popular cuisine and the hard work and ideals required to make someone the best at its creation.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Packaging/Materials: Blu-ray keepcase
Year: 2011
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1:22:28
MSRP: $29.98
THE FEATURE
SPECIAL FEATURES
Video
VC-1: 1080p high definition 1.78:1
High definition
Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio: Japanese 5.1
Stereo
Subtitles
English, English SDH, Spanish
English
The Feature: 4/5
Perfectionists are a funny breed. They’ll readily admit their goal of attaining a flawless “whatever” is beyond reach, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. They find comfort, satisfaction, and even pleasure in the pursuit of their high ideals, and more often than not society reaps the benefits, be it in a service, art, or technology.
Perfectionists usually get a bad rap though, because the excesses of the trait can lead to a demanding, overbearing quality in their interactions with others and, more critically, themselves. The perfect perfectionist, as it were, is ultimately one who has learned to temper their expectations with doses of realism and humanity, but too often finding that balance remains elusive for those who commit so much of themselves to a singular ideal.
While director David Gelb’s fascinating documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is firstly about the art of preparing sushi by an undeniable master of the craft, it is ultimately about the pursuit of perfection and its effects.
The benefits of Chef Jiro Ono’s longstanding commitment are obvious. Seventy-Five years of hard work and devotion to making the best possible sushi have resulted in his Tokyo restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, receiving a rare three-star rating by the prestigious Michelin Guide Book. Chefs the world over affirm the score by describing the cuisine – which consists entirely of traditional sushi dishes (none of that California Roll stuff) – as the best they’ve ever had. In order to dine at his humble, 10-seat establishment, located underground in a subway station, reservations need to be made at least a month in advance.
The downsides to Jiro’s work ethic and high standards can be assumed, but not necessarily confirmed.
While both of his sons have followed in his footsteps, and ascribe to the same ideals, they remain in his shadow. Yoshikazu, the elder son, in particular has the most to live up to, as he works alongside his father at Sukiyabashi and is heir apparent to the 85-year old chef’s legacy. When the inevitable eventually happens, the pressure to maintain the same level of quality will be enormous. As one former apprentice describes it, the son will need be twice as good as the father just to be seen as his equal.
For Takashi, the younger son, the demands are less intense. He’s already struck out on his own with a sushi restaurant that is more casual in feel, but no less high minded about its menu. Though no doubt both children experienced great expectations from their father growing up, especially when it came to their training in the craft, interactions between the family members appear affectionate and respectful. If anything, they seem more like colleagues than father and sons or even master and apprentices, though small jokes between the three suggest it took some time for the relationship to get to that place.
Which raises the question of whether Jiro, in the process of becoming a master of sushi, also learned the secret to perfectionism, how to balance an unwavering devotion to his profession with the finer points of being a father, husband, and teacher. Though the documentary seems to skirt the edges of this question of balance, preferring to show Jiro as a strict sushi workaholic, the deleted scenes included on the Blu-ray release provide a more revealing look at the man. Which leads to the chief criticism about the film – that the filmmakers tend to oversimplify matters, whereas presenting a more complex individual would have made Jiro even more compelling as a subject.
Video Quality: 4/5
Presented in 1080p with the VC-1 codec, the transfer is framed at an 1.78:1 and features strong blacks, uncompromised contrast, and pleasing depth of color despite a largely neutral palette – a result of the film’s available light cinematography. Detail and sharpness look great, with no signs of digital noise reduction or sharpening measures. There are some patches of noise in midtone and shadow areas, and gradients show posterizing effects, though the artifacts don’t appear frequently enough to be considered a major distraction.
Audio Quality: 4/5
Dialogue in the Japanese language 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is consistently crisp and detailed. Surround channels provide light support for the soundtrack, but are otherwise unused. LFE is non-existent, but the track exhibits a satisfactory depth and range for the dialogue-driven piece.
Special Features: 3.5/5
Commentary by Director David Gelb and Editor Brandon Driscoll-Luttringer: The filmmakers turn in a casual, but informative track describing the various challenges of shooting in another country and techniques used to capture some of the compelling imagery.
Deleted Scenes (20:50, HD) The biggest take-away from the unused material is that Jiro is a little more balanced in his life than the film suggests. Understandably, the filmmakers chose to focus the documentary on the chef’s singular pursuit, but at the same time it kind of misrepresents the man as having nothing else going on in his life.
Yamamoto’s First Meal (1:06, HD)
Secret of the Sauce (2:05, HD)
Cleanup’s First and Second (:55, HD)
We Travel with the Fish (:56, HD)
The Customers (5:26, HD)
Pursuit of Perfection (1:35, HD)
Apprentices at the Market (3:00, HD)
Jiro Minus Sushi = Father (2:33, HD)
Apprentice’s Journey (3:09, HD)
March of the Spoiled Children (2:44, HD)
Masters: The vendors who supply Jiro’s restaurant talk about the nuances of their products.
Tuna Master (7:03, HD)
Shrimp Master (2:01, HD)
Octopus/Halibut Master (1:35, HD)
Rice Master (8:29, HD)
Sushi Gallery (2:06, HD): Beauty shots of various types of nigiri sushi.
Theatrical Trailer (2:07, HD)
Trailers
Marley (1:55, HD)
Sound of Noise (1:42, HD)
The Hunter (2:25, HD)
Take this Waltz (2:26, HD)
HDNet Commercial (1:01, HD)
Recap
The Film: 4/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 3.5/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
Magnolia Home Entertainment delivers a fine audio and video presentation for a documentary exploring the work of a Tokyo sushi master and his commitment to perfection. The special features, through its deleted scenes, provide additional insights into the man, though ironically they also undermine some of the documentary’s narrative. Nevertheless, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” makes for a fascinating look at both a popular cuisine and the hard work and ideals required to make someone the best at its creation.
