Critic Reviews

Nobu is a straightforward and admiring portrait of its subject.

This docu-portrait verges on corporate promo at times, though there are a couple of telling vignettes in the second half.

A mouth-watering but utterly flavorless documentary about one of the most acclaimed sushi chefs in the world (and arguably the most famous), Matt Tyrnauer’s “Nobu” is such a fawning portrait of Nobu Matsuhisa that it feels like it should only be available to watch on a DVD sold at the gift shops in the restaurateur’s hotels.

More testimony to the experience of eating at Nobu would have helped this feel less like a commercial.

The movie often brushes past what might have been its most intriguing moments in favor of an unobtrusive hagiography. It approaches dramatic rigor and visual intrigue in only the briefest of scenes, often far too late into its runtime.