Tampopo (1985)
For the love of ramen!
Presentation:
One of the greatest love letters to food in cinema, the film follows the story of a Japanese woman trying to make the best ramen shop with several interconnecting stories. Itโs humorous, but not particularly laugh out loud funny. There are definitely a few scenes that are shocking with more nudity than youโd expect, but the film nevertheless slowly creeps up on you with its charm. It has more of a slapstick kind of humor with maybe an occasional chuckle. If you can get through the overly silly beginning, you might end up falling in love by the end, but I doubt you will be asking for seconds.
Conclusion:
Fun, charming, this might be too silly for some, but it should be a comfort food for many, reminding us that cinema is about human connection and love, and what more relatable connection do we have than the love for food? Itโs not a serious story but it never attempts to be. Just like movies, the best meal is the one shared with the people we love.
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