Tampopo

Original post date: 4 June 1987
Rating: ✭✭✭✰

This Japanese movie does for food what Last Tango in Paris did for sex and what Rocky did for boxing and what Apocalypse Now did for war and what The Magnificent Seven did for Mexican villages. You would have to consider this an extremely funny comedy, unless you happen to be a turtle in which case you would have to consider it a snuff movie. It is really just a string of black-outs and skits strung together, all dealing with food and the Japanese obsession with it. Much of the film deals with the adventures of Tampopo (which is Japanese for Dandelion), a young widow who is trying to be the best noodle cooker in Japan. If you are like me (and God help you if you are), you will have a great time picking out all of the many references to other movies, including westerns, Rocky, gangster movies, etc. Very, very funny. And I guarantee that, if you see this movie, you will never think about egg yolk in the same way again. If you get the chance, see this flick. But not on an empty stomach.

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