Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Japanese, English subtitles

81 minutes, 2011

5 Stars

This is a documentary about a Japanese National Treasure, then 85-year-old Jiro Ono, sushi chef. It is also about his sons and apprentices, but mostly it is about life and how this man has chosen to live it. I found it thoroughly engaging, and enjoyed watching how the sushi was made, and eaten. I suppose if you are squeamish about such things as food in the raw, literally, you might not appreciate this, but as an aficionado of good sushi (though I've never paid $300.00 for a meal of it, and doubt I will in this lifetime) I found it delightful. I enjoyed the trip Jiro made to his hometown, the visit with his school chums, and his dilemma over what to talk about at the school that invited him. Well made, beautiful.

Trailer

We Were Here

We Were Here

English

2011, 90 minutes

5 Stars

This well-done documentary on the AIDS epidemic is neither morbid nor morose. Rainy Day remembers and wasn't sure she wanted to watch, as she thought it would take at least a case of tissues. It didn't. There were a few tears here and there, but Rainy Day would not classify it a Tear Jerker. Rainy Day thought there was a great deal of hope in the movie. One of the men interviewed became HIV positive during the first wave, and he is still alive and appears to be fairly healthy. The men and woman interviewed lived through it and tell their stories in a straightforward manner, and this documentary clearly belongs to them, not the director or the producer. If you remember the time, you will like this movie. If you are too young to remember it, you will learn.

For a trailer, click here.