Amazon.com essential video
Like seeds of a dandelion blowing in the wind, the plot of
Tampopo wanders in several directions, following the lives of a quirky collection of characters. At the heart of this film is a young widow named Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto), who is struggling to make ends meet by running a noodle restaurant. Goro (Tsutomu Yamazaki), a truck driver, saves Tampopo's young son from being beaten by a group of school girls and is rewarded with a bowl of very bad ramen (noodles). Goro tells Tampopo the awful truth about her cooking and she asks for his help. Together they search for the perfect ramen recipe.
Intersecting this part of the plot are several smaller and less well-realized stories. Koji Yakusho, who stars in Shall We Dance, appears as a sensuous gangster who would rather play with his food than eat it. Then there's the mysterious Noodle Master who lives with a group of street vagabonds and a young executive who knows how to order food from a French menu, but not how to preserve the dignity of his superiors.
While the film as a whole feels somewhat disjointed, writer-director Juzo Itami manages to infuse Tampopo (which means "dandelion") with a sense of Japanese joie de vivre that is worth experiencing. Take notes during the "soup scenes" and see what you can cook up for yourself. --Luanne Brown
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The greatest movie about food ever made
This movie is one of my all-tile favourites. It's an hommage to cinema, with winks and nods at everything from classic westerns to Kurosawa to Fellini and Godard. It's a scathing critique of the Japanese bubble society of the 80's and by extension, all recent consumer get rich quick socities. Most of all it's a hymn to the human art of making more than just sustenance out of food.
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Humorous and Thoughtful
Tampopo is one of my all-time favorite Japanese films. I would like to invite others to view this film because the characters are so warmly defined and the vignettes in which they appear are more thought-provoking than they initially seem. The main plot line which involves a young widow's quest to produce the ideal bowl of noodles at her shop is a vehicle that drives a food-centered theme across an urban Japanese landscape, and which visits many hilarious, touching, and fascinating situations along the way. Tampopo is not exactly a light hearted comedy and can even be shocking at times, but it will leave the viewer thinking about it for a long time afterward. I give it five stars.
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Favorite Classic
This movie is soooo classic for so many reasons. Great story with a very unusual story line. I can honestly say I have not seen a movie this good in a long long time.
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"Food Porn" at it's finest
I was so happy to see that Amazon was offering this DVD. After listening to a David Chang interview and hearing his recommendation for this movie, I had to see what all the ruckus was about. This film is awesome. I was a little bit naive and didn't think to read any content reviews for it despite the NR rating, so when the first of many instances of bare breasts were seen in a particular scene I was a bit shocked, so be warned. Luckily that scene is conveniently skippable without missing anything else and there isn't any nudity after that until the credits roll at the end, and even then, it's a long focus on a baby breast feeding, if you consider that nudity. This movie is all about the Japanese love/obsession with food. The film is slightly quirky and after certain scenes I was a bit stunned, not knowing if I should be laughing or taking it serious, but it actually is really funny. The acting was great and the film's pacing was excellent as well, despite being sort of a montage that jumps back and forth with the characters. If you are passionate about food, you need to see this film. And don't forget to affectionately stroke the pork in your bowl.
The DVD doesn't come with anything but the disc and the case. I watched (and probably only will watch) the subbed version.
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For foodies around the world
I loved the movie, it's a must for all people interested in the food idustry... very down to earth situations, even though the story takes place in Japan, I could relate to it. I recommend it as something to take into consideration even before trying to open a dinner... But... I would love to watch the movie with an English audio version.
