Tampopo 1985
Some digital versions of Criterion titles went on sale this week for as little as $5, so I bought a few. This movie has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and I was considering buying it, but I read a little bit about it and saw it was a Japanese comedy about food and sex with a Spaghetti Western motif. While that is an interesting combination, I thought it probably would not make a good blind buy. I found the movie already playing on the Criterion channel, so I watched it there and I don't think I will buy it. The movie very much feels like a film school project that puts together all of those pieces, kind of making fun of itself and also kind of earnest. A truck driver in Japan, who wears cowboy clothes, wants to help the owner of a ramen restaurant improve and perfect her craft and, with her eyes open to the true art of great ramen, takes up the challenge. It is funny and it made me want to go get some ramen. Interspersed are some mostly unrelated short pieces about food and/or sensuality. It is offbeat and different, so I can see where critics would go crazy about it. It is also neat that the cowboy's sidekick is a cool young guy played by the distinguished actor, Ken Watanabe, in an early role. The movie feels a little like a stoner film, except about ramen. If you like the sense of humor at work, this will be a great movie, but if you are a little skeptical, it could be kind of flat or even terrible. I'm a little in between that.
Written: 30 May 2025