by Republic Pictures
Sales Rank: 30450
Price: $14.98
Like seeds of a dandelion blowing in the wind, the plot of <I>Tampopo</I> 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. <p> Intersecting this part of the plot are several smaller and less well-realized stories. Koji Yakusho, who stars in <I>Shall We Dance</I>, 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. <p> While the film as a whole feels somewhat disjointed, writer-director Juzo Itami manages to infuse <I>Tampopo</I> (which means "dandelion") with a sense of Japanese <I>joie de vivre</I> that is worth experiencing. Take notes during the "soup scenes" and see what you can cook up for yourself. <I>--Luanne Brown</I>
Viewer Reviews I loved this gem of a film. I was lucky enough to enjoy it with some family and my brother said this review title. This movie has alot of heart and fun. I like how the woman gets built up in confidence and the friendship the truck driver and ramen lady have together. It has been a while since I have seen it but it remains one of the better random foreign films I have seen.
