Tampopo

Tampopo (1986) starring Ken Watanabe, Tsutomo Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto. Set in Japan, this is a movie about food in all its glory. This movie has been referred to as the first "noodle Western," because it shows properties of Western movies (one protagonist wears a cowboy hat) and because it is mostly about the search for the perfect recipe for a bowl of noodles, Japanese style. There are also several interesting vignettes about people interacting with food in various ways -- using it erotically, feeling it up in the store, ordering it at a fancy restaurant, learning how to eat it properly. In the main story line, two truckers (Watanabe, Yamazaki) pull up on a rainy night at the noodle shop of a recently widowed -- and none too skilled -- woman named Tampopo (Miyamoto). They become involved with her and set out to make her shop a big success by finding the perfect recipe for a bowl of noodles. It's a delightfully entertaining film with appealing characters, and it really makes you hungry to try a bowl of noodles. (In Japanese, with English subtitles.) Grade: B+