Ratatouille
When I first became aware of the movie Ratatouille, my heart was full of glee. I had clicked on a yahoo video link where I saw a clip that showed off both the movies visual flair and its authentic love for all things culinary. When we finally got a gang together to see the film in question, I was in a meditative state; trying not to psyche myself up too much since that usually only leads to disappointment. Thankfully a large dim sum brunch distracted my critical mind from over-thinking, and my belly from groaning at the French dishes on screen.
As with most Pixar features the plot is simple enough, telling a compelling story through capable voice acting and emotive animation. In this case the plot follows a rat named Remy (geek comedian Patton Oswalt), blessed with a sensory refinement that defies his fate to rummage through garbage all his life. Unlike the other rats Remy lives to experiment new combinations of flavors, aromas and textures. Aided by an old cooking show hosted by master chef Gusteau he has developed some knowledge of French Cuisine and unfortunately that is all he is able to take with him when he is separated from his colony by a fateful shotgun blast.
Finding himself alone and nearly starved in Paris, Gusteau appears to him and leads him into his once innovative but now painfully average restaurant. Spying through the window he catches dish washer Linguini (Lou Romano) unintentionally sabotaging a pot of soup. Remy heroically steps in to fix it, effectively improving on the old recipe and impressing the restaurant’s patrons. Still, he is captured by the kitchen staff who request that Linguini dispose of the rat. Since Linguini is unable to cook and Remy needs a human avatar if he is to step into a kitchen, a truce between man and rat is born. Before long Linguini a puppet to Remy’s innovative cooking and all manner of fun conflicts arise. Some conflicts are parallel to the Cyrano de Bergerac, as Remy aids the clueless Linguini with his cooking and with charming his love interest Colette (Janeane Garofalo). Others are reminiscent of Les Misérables, painting the rats as a marginalized class with no use for hopes or dreams, simply cursed to do what they can to survive. It is a charitable act of mercy that elevates Remy and makes him a force of change, but still always a rat.
The texture mapping is remarkable and chock full of details, be it rodents fur, the scrapes on pans, or the oven scars on a chefs arm. The animation itself is also a high note, Remy moves as a rat should and challenges viewers by not letting you forget who Remy is and why that is a problem. All humans are blessed with amazing comedic timing and expressions that speak a thousand words, so despite being cartoony, it still rings true emotionally. Last but not least is the Noveau French cuisine designed by consultant Thomas Keller of the revered French Laundry. It is vibrant, colorful, and inviting; up there with the best food scenes from Eat Drink Man Woman. Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I was that entertained by an animated feature, suffice to say the film critic in me left profoundly satisfied and the food critic in me left painfully hungry. And speaking of food critics keep an eye out for Peter O’Toole’s scene-stealing gastronomic scribe, his dry wit is one of the movies main highlights.
