User reviews

This movie is all about the story, none about character development. All characters are one dimensional and the story also does not have much content. But here, less is more. Whatever the story, however short, is solid. There are all around awesome performances, weather it is our lead actress Diana or the supporting cast Rodrigo, Yutaka or even Kaya. The background music is a bit off putting and looks like it's been picked up from public domain. It always tries to over dramatize the situation. The movie has some clichés, but they are well put.

This is one of those films which fills you with energy, while being far from an action film. Positivity oozes out it every single minute. If you want to watch a moral boosting, feel good movie, I highly recommend you this. But beware, you will end up hungry and craving for sushi till the end of the movie.

I saw this movie with about 7 new friends. I did not expect much. Boy, was I wrong! From the moment this movie started I identified with Juana (myself being a single mother) and how hard it was to move up in the business world. I remember being paid at least 25% less than men doing my same job (and I mean the EXACT same job).

This movie is a combination of the Karate Kid, Rocky, and a Cooking Contest. That may be oversimplifying it. Truly inspirational for anyone.

Good thing I remembered to grab a handful of Kleenex because I needed at least 3, the girl next to me and the girl next to her. There was even a guy sitting below us who was crying.

I liked everything about the film, the location specific aspect of it, the directing, writing, acting, and the excellent cast. Have recommended it to my friends to be on the lookout to watch back in my hometown of New Orleans.

Can't wait to go see it again.

Juanna Martinez and her widowed dad struggle to keep a living and raise her daughter by working a series of odd-end jobs like working in a supermarket, a gym, and selling fruit in a cart. After a particularly deadly incident while selling fruit in the streets, Juanna decides to look for a more stable and safe job. She spots a 'help wanted' advertisement in the shop front of a Japanese restaurant, Osaka, and decides to apply. Despite not having any previous experience in Japanese restaurants, she is hired because of her long history of working in Italian and Mexican eateries in the past. Once in, she diligently works her way in the kitchen. With medical benefits and the leftovers that she can take home, Juanna seems to have finally found some stability in her life. Once she finds the stability, she starts to become creative with her job. She experiments on the Japanese dishes at home, and within a year, can be seen to have progressed enough to impress her reluctant dad and enthusiastic daughter, with her sushi. But, progress at work seems difficult, with a boss who seems determined to hold on to traditional ways of Japanese cooking. I would leave the rest for the audience to enjoy, because, even if we have seen empowering storylines like this before, and can predict the story beats, watching it unfold is still a pleasure. Independent movies like this are a delight to watch for mw, because it feels like I'm watching real people struggling with real issues that I can find a few streets down my house. The acting is very natural, with the exception of a few stilted scenes, the emotion is real, poignant and earned. The cinematography reflects Juanna's mind, starting with muted colours during the hardship phase and increasingly becoming colourful as she finds joy and passion in her job. There is plenty of commentary about how society and economy is set up in a way to keep the working class working all their lives without ever being able to securely retire. There is also the narrative of personal development, of how someone can pull them up by their bootstraps, but the movie does very well to put it alongside the structural issues of poverty and economy rather than a reductive, fancy, neoliberal tale of emancipation.

RATINGS

Direction 6.5 Story 6.5 Acting 7 Cinematography Very Indie Overall 6.5

VERDICT: A wonderful one-time watch that combines food, multiculturalism and empowerment.

I noticed some time ago that some of my very favorite films are about food--perhaps it's because I love to cook. Off the top of my head, I can quickly think of some real classic foodie movies, such as "Babette's Feast", "Mostly Martha", "The Big Night" and "The Hundred-Foot Journey". I might want to a new film to this list-- "East Side Sushi". Unfortunately, this film is not yet scheduled for a nation-wide release, but there are going to be some limited engagements in California theaters starting September 18th--most likely because the audiences there have a large concentration of Hispanic-Americans (and the leading character is a Mexican- American). I sure hope it comes to other markets, as this film by Anthony Lucero is a little gem.

Juana (Diana Elizabeth Torres) is a brilliant cook. But she and her father are struggling to raise her daughter. Their pay is meager and her job selling fruit on the streets has become rather dangerous. On a lark, she decides to go to work at a local Japanese restaurant instead of doing her usual Mexican-style cooking. Here at the restaurant, she does a lot of the prep-work--and the sushi chefs do the actual sushi work. But she is fascinated by their work and soon realizes that sushi is delicious...and so, with only a little bit of help to get her started, she teaches herself how to make sushi. After a year of practice on her family, Juana is quite accomplished and is ready to make the leap in the restaurant from prep work to sushi...but there is a problem. Mexican-Americans do NOT work in sushi bars and everyone KNOWS that only Japanese men can excel in this art..right?! Well, Juana is determined...and conventional wisdom may not be right after all.

So why did I like this film so much? Well, the biggest reason is that the film is about people. Because of the wonderful performances and nice direction, you can believe that Juana is a real person--not just a plot device. You feel for her, you see her struggle, you like her and want her to succeed. I like movies about people and their everyday lives--and this one really works for me. I also appreciate that many times I expected things to happen one way in the movie but the writer (also Lucero) chose to avoid these clichés and formula--so it kept me guessing. Overall, this is a lovely little film--one that left me a bit hungry for more.

I'd like to to give this a better review, but I have to hold back. The story and message are important, but to me, the execution was lacking.

I understand that this film had an extremely low budget, so they did a good job at producing something of merit with their limited resources. But I can't help but feel that this underdog story has been told many times before.

Yes, iterations of these stories are important, and they can shine a light on important social issues.

Especially in the Trump era, this sort of intercultural celebration hits home and is encouraging to see. I also really liked the celebration of learning in this film as well: learning languages, cultures, cuisine, and the interpolations of a hybrid Mexican-Japanese-American dynamic.

But for me, the acting, music, and writing veered more towards ideas that have already been explored, and less towards unique perspectives on the important social aspects that should always be showcased.

Just my 2 cents.

Stop me if you've heard this before: aspiring chef wants to make it to the top. Sure, we've seen those films. Now stop me if you've heard this one: aspiring Latina wants to become a top sushi chef. Wrong race. Wrong gender. Ambitious goal. Lead actor Diana Elizabeth Torres delivers an outstanding performance as Juana, the barrio fruit cart vendor who aspires to better things.

Walking by a sushi restaurant one day, she spies the food and marvels at the look of the food. After all, for sushi the look is as important as the taste and the mouth feel. It's an edible art form unlike the rolled burritos and fried tacos she's used to making.

Juana also spies a help-wanted sign in the window of the sushi restaurant and gets a back-kitchen position. However, she dreams of making sushi out in front behind the sushi counter. The movie's story is all about her efforts to get there despite many obstacles at the restaurant and at home.

This is a very inspiring film of grit and determination. If it were a western, Juana would be wielding a gun and a Bowie knife. Instead, it's a sushi knife.

Do yourself a favor and go see this film. It was filmed in Oakland on a shoestring budget by an indie filmmaking company and writer-director Anthony Lucero but I think it's as good as anything you'll see from Hollywood.

I liked the premise of this movie but ultimately found it pretty disappointing.

The acting is bad, across the board. Seems like nearly the entire cast is non-actors and it shows. Many of the line readings are stilted and it leaves an uncanny, uncomfortable veneer through the entire movie. The cinematography is mostly uninspired and sometimes downright lazy, with framing you'd expect to see in a student film. There are similar issues with writing and direction.

I approached screen time with cynicism. "What can this movie show me that I don't already know?" The answers came quickly and sustained me with sublime surprises.

Flawless acting that is displayed with an authentic, non-acting-documentary-predisposed delivery. It's a gem that permeated into every character. I could not pinpoint a weak performance...

Framed in a thematically predictable outcome, the film delicately balances the contrite notions of gender, culture and ambition with refreshing human authenticity that ultimately defines its redeeming value.

Hollywood can't make this kind of Gold.

I used to work at a sushi restaurant and the little things in the script is so hilariously true to life... right to the type of customers, the whole having to master cutting cucumber, getting mad at ordering teriyaki at a sushi bar... looking stuff up on craigslist -- the little things! (The only thing I found to be a little unrealistic was how the restaurant getting together during their lunch break(?) feeding their staff nice sushi and rolls... well, I guess they really are a nice restaurant and not stingy to their workers! What luxury...)

The main lead, Juana, is beautiful!! She sort of reminds me of a young Salma Hayek, but cuter. She's great!

The main lead's father deserves Best Supporting Actor award; his delivery and reactions are so natural and hilarious... he's immediately very likable.

Aki, the Japanese chef, (and they actually got a real Japanese guy!) is good too.

Just great casting overall - very very likable cast, even the young daughter. ('There's a Chinese man at the front door.' haha)

I love the scene with the main lead and the chef having sake together; great script-writing. To me, that scene was touching (got me teary) and hilarious at the same time bringing up the issue about being a woman and races. (soo funny and true about assistant chefs being Chinese and Korean... 'he smells like ashtray!' haha Koreans love to smoke)

I love how they intertwine Mexican and Japanese culture together. Very very cool. I really enjoyed it and was engaged the whole time; it went by really fast.

If you work at a sushi restaurant/love sushi/like Mexican/Japanese cultures, or just want a movie to inspire to go after your dreams, watch it. You'll love it.

It's funny, cute, touching film that you can enjoy multiple times.

It's not a big budget movie and perhaps may have a little high quality TV-Movie feel, but who cares. These are the types of movies that's worth watching; real-life conversations and stories people can relate and be inspired to.

Highly recommend! It has become one of my favorite movies.

One funny goof I noticed... when the chef asks the girl to help him out with the phone orders, she puts it on regular plates instead of a to-go box. xD

Oh and when Mr. Yoshida was cutting the cucumber "art" and the customers respond in amazement/kind of sucking up to the chef is sooo funny - that really happens in real life... it's also funny because that cucumber didn't even look amazing at all. What the hell was that? Haha

Low budget flick with lots of heart. Acting and technical stuff isn't brilliant, story is a little cheesy, but it works. I liked it.

A cute movie but would not watch again because it's so predictable. single Latina mother, trying to eke out a living, nasty ppl all pushing her down. still it has a good msg, pointing out the sexism in restaurants. I've worked in restaurants before and there's a lot of discrimination. boring ending though

Very sweet inspirational movie about a single mother trying to succeed in the food business industry... sometimes generalizing too much, sometimes too melodramatic, but I could not ignore very good clean cut script, safe directing, excellent cast and very beautiful cinematography.

If you are a foodie, and sometimes get emotional watching dramas, this is a film for you!

Love the uniqueness of the story... I mean how many non-male, non-Japanese sushi chefs do you see? I loved that the lead is a very strong female (Hispanic!) character (all too rare these days).

Wonderful acting, writing, editing, directing.

Beautiful sushi and watching it being made was fascinating.

This film brought tears to my eyes many times and I left the theater wanting a sushi dinner! Definitely the best movie I've seen all year... actually I've seen it twice and can't wait to see it again! Brought friends the second time I saw it who all felt the same :)

I can't wait to see this movie again.

This was a completely enjoyable movie. The script was well written, the acting was superb, and the cinematography was great. Even the sound, which sometimes suffers outside of Hollywood, was perfect. My only complaint is that I am not a fan of hand-held camera, but I understand that it is a legitimate technique, and it actually pulled me in during one scene, which is unusual.

One of my favorite parts about this movie is that the "moral" is a little ambiguous and isn't hammered home. Hollywood movies are always so black-and-white with good guys and bad guys, which is nothing like real life. East Side Sushi is much more subtle and realistic about themes like racism, gender bias, and social class. It is very refreshing.

I ended up discussing this movie for hours afterwards, and recalling some of the great scenes, which is unusual and definitely the sign of great filmmaking. I very highly recommend East Side Sushi!

That this movie was filmed on a shoestring or maybe a shoestring's shoestring makes me appreciate it all the more. In a time when finger pointing at those who do the jobs others won't or blame those who can't seem to get ahead, this gives some very subtle insights. When other decide what it is that we can or can not do, everyone looses.

Behind the scenes at our favorite restaurants are the hidden, talented and relentlessly hard-working individuals who are instrumental in delivering the dining experience, but all too often do not share the spotlight. This is a film about a tough, young single mother who tries to move out from behind the scenes.

But it so much more than that -- it is a touching, funny, inspirational film about family, parenting, cross-cultural friendship and understanding, breaking glass ceilings and cultural barriers, and determination. Most importantly, the story unfolds and the characters develop (and some, evolve) at a perfect, subtle pace. In these days of hateful, sound-bite generalizing and bashing of people who do not look like me, this film is a reminder of how wrong the talking heads are.

This movie proves that a good, entertaining and inspiring movie does not need a big budget. Very well directed and performed. Everything about this movie is awesome. The main lead comes across as a veteran actor when she is probably not. There is not a single boring moment in the movie. Thanks for a good one!

East Side Sushi is a very heartfelt film that brings to film the struggles we face in our lives and the accomplishments we can achieve by believing in ourselves. A very creative film production with the simplicity of bringing everyday life to view. The actors were flawless with such great performance from every one of them. You will be cheering for Juana as she stands up for herself. Her dreams of success is not only self-righteous but to bring together unity between cultures. You will be so engaged and will leave wanting more. If you love sushi your mouth will be watering and if not, you will appreciate it's beauty. I loved every moment and hope to see more films from this very creative Writer/Director. Do not miss this award winning film!

I came across this movie on a rainy Sunday, while hoping the golf tournament in Dallas would resume after the rain. It is a good family movie, and also one about working to achieve your dreams against stiff odds. After all, Japanese Sushi bars don't easily accept a Mexican lady as a Sushi Chef. But she is really good!

Good movie.