I’ve never seen “Jiro Dreams Of Sushi,” the inspiration for tonight’s amazing episode of “Documentary Now.” I do watch “Chef’s Table,” which is what sprung to mind when I initially watched it.The testament to how great this particular installment lies in the fact that knowing anything about what “Documentary Now” is referencing is complementary at best to one’s enjoyment watching it. Much of this program’s greatness lies in the artistry with which it mimics its source inspiration (season one’s “Kunuk Uncovered” and “Final Transmission,” the upcoming homage to “Stop Making Sense,” absolutely fall under this category). Rice And Chicken” actually works as a piece of dramatic storytelling in addition to eerily accurate mimicry, one as compelling as anything else on television in 2016.That’s a strange thing to say about a show that often parodies format as much as content, turning many episodes into a meta exercise about

the craft that goes into documentary filmmaking. It’s an exceedingly clever show, but rarely pushes beyond that. especially in the 20-minute bursts of each “Documentary Now” episode. “Juan” excels is in marrying the artifice of the form and the shallowness of its ostensible object of satire with a family story that is genuinely moving. It’s almost as if every other episode of the show were setting up this sucker punch of an installment.That’s obviously assigning intent where it wasn’t intended: Each episode of “Documentary Now” is an entity unto its own, with all the highs and lows that encompass such an approach. Maybe the show reaches the heights of “Juan” again at some point in its run, but it won’t (and can’t) be the same. That’s because comparing episodes is like comparing different types of fruit. Sure, they are all edible, but there’s no use comparing a carrot with a turnip. Form and function simply don’t align in an easily comparable way.

“Juan” great also makes it singular.In many ways, that’s what the episode is all about. didn’t watch “Jiro,” but I’ve watched my share of “Chef’s Table” on Netflix. food delivery hammersmith london used that as my reference point in terms of its shot selection, camerasushi in dubai media city movement, and editing techniques. jiro loves sushi stream(Learning that director David Gelb had a handwhere to buy sashimi uk in both “Jiro” and “Table” makes sense, but also really doesn’t matter in termsjiro dreams of sushi lessons

of what makes “Juan Likes Rice and Chicken” so singular an achievement.) The “joke” of assigning a three-star Michelin rating to this hovel makes a mockery of high art, bespoke cuisine, and those that trust Yelpwhere can i buy bbq eel over their own taste buds. sushi sudoku onlineOn the other hands, “Juan” takes the titular chef and his two sons EXTREMELY seriously, and never once mocks them or theirIt’s an important distinction, one that allows the episode to have its (three-star) cake and eat it too. The silly and the sublime don’t cancel each other out, but rather augment one another. You could see this episode as mocking those who buy into the restaurant’s hype. But you could also see their raves as an honest reception of the passion that Juan puts into the restaurant.

Juan Likes Rice And Chicken” is about the pursuit of perfection at the potential cost of human connection. Having now read up on “Jiro,” that theme seems directly lifted from the original documentary. yet, “Juan” creates three entities that are wholly fictional but in whose happinessYou understand quickly what motivates Juan and his two sons, and both the script (written by Seth Meyers) and the direction (Rhys Thomas, Alex Buono) economically lay out motivation more often than not through what’sEither the lens betrays the lies in a character’s eyes, or catches something when the subject isn’t aware he’s on camera. These are prideful men who are too proud to admit how much they are afraid of disappointing eachThat’s a universal theme that goes well beyond any one form of“Juan” transcends its subject matter by tapping into shared emotions rather than a single piece of pop culture. It’s not about Fred Armisen playing Jiro’s son Yoshikazu.

Rather, he’s playing every child faced with the impossible task of making aAnd while Armisen excels at playing ironic detachment, here he underplays things masterfully, drawing audiences with his fearful eyes and staccato bursts of unwitting confession. The talking heads in “Juan” wonder if his character can live up to his father’s legacy. versus other “Documentary Now” episodes? We actually WANT him to succeed. Failure wouldn’t be funny in this case. It would be heartbreaking. The closest analogy to another episode with such surprise and emotional impact in 2016 has to be the “Bojack Horseman” episode “Fish Out Of Water.” I can’t quite put “Juan” above that episode, but the fact that I’m putting it this close attests to how powerful and surprising it is. In fact, in terms of surprise, it surpassesDid I expect “Fish” to unfold as it did? No, but that also felt afterwards like something inevitable that fit within the context of that show