When five people who know me tell me that I’ve “GOT to see” a movie, I usually do. David Gelb’s doc Jiro Dreams of Sushi was one of them. I’m glad I saw it, and I can recommend it to certain people. I don’t think I’ll watch it again, but a couple of things stuck with me.
1. Obsession and the damaged soul
Jiro was a great sushi chef, yes. You could have called the movie “Jiro Obsesses About Sushi. A LOT.” I understand celebrating excellence and a strong work ethic, but it wouldn’t have happened had his drunken father not kicked him out of the house when he was seven. What a bummer. I guess it’s a positive spin on pain, though, like Robert Crumb and his crappy childhood and… well, name a genius. Is it good that a dude makes great sushi? Yes. Is it good that he’s that way because he was devastated as a child? Not sure, but I’m not gonna unthinkingly celebrate it. Poor little kid. Can you imagine?
2. How to Succeed
Pick one thing, go deep, work your ass off, and keep getting better and better and better and better. Makes sense, but sounds exhausting. And limiting as hell. What about the rest of life? You want to be a two-mile deep puddle or a big shallow lake? Depends on your personality. Call me a generalist; I’ll take the lake.
3. People Who Excel Attract People Who Excel
This was the best thing I saw in the movie. Winners in a certain field attract other winners in that arena. Jiro worked with the best fish dealer, the best shrimp guy, the GREATEST RICE MAN IN THE WOOORRRLLLD! They loved him. They thought he was a righteous dude. Yes, they were all eccentric geeks, but in a tightly-defined world of excellence, that’s what you get. That’s what you should expect. And if it’s your own geeky world, they are exactly the people whose admiration, devotion and company you want. That is, if you even WANT company. Not sure you would, being all obsessive and hyper-focused, but maybe. I dunno.
4. Aging Well
Keep busy. Love what you do. Stay involved. Keep moving. Commute. Walk. Work. Travel. I liked this lesson, too. Jiro’s old, man. 86 as I write this. But he moves really well. He’s still vibrant. I dig that about Jiro.
Colleen was a little bummed out that he forced his sons into the business, but I didn’t see it that way. It’s Japan; it’s sort of expected there. And he did give them a solid way to make a living with a running start.
I didn’t like the part when Donnie died, though. Oh, sorry. Wrong movie.
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