Ratatouille

I should learn, as Ego did, not to have any specific expectations when enjoying something new. With this film, I was expecting a hip and cool movie due to the fact that Brad Bird was the director. When I first saw “Ratatouille”, I loved the characters and I could sense how unique the film was. I knew however that I would have to see it more in order to better understand my taste for it. Now, I can relate to the film very well emotionally and I feel that everyone can. That is the key to its success. The film was having trouble during pre-production until Brad Bird was assigned to save it and save it he did. The Disney formula of great characters, story and technological advancements is apparent but more importantly, your soul is touched by watching this film. Brad Bird’s passion for filmmaking comes across on the screen and the musical score has captured the romance of Paris as well as the artistry of cooking.

The story affects the audience in the same way that “Pinocchio” and “Cinderella” does. All these movies deal with dreamers and their attempts to make their dreams come true. “Ratatouille” has the same message as the song “When You Wish Upon a Star”: dreams can come true, even for a rat that is masquerading as a professional cook. The story is also in the underdog genre but it is different than say “A Bug’s Life”. There is a level of enthusiasm and zeal that seems to emulate from the direction and writing of Bird. The film also taps into that North American pioneering spirit. Remy is attempting something unheard of and that resonates with us as a western audience. He never set out to be a the head chef at Gusteau's. Rather, he just fell into that situation and wants to keep it. Remy’s narration has a present tense at the very start of the film but it changes to a past tense so as to lead to the end scene. The narration is very effective for this movie because the film focuses on the mental state and emotions of our protagonist. The opening scenes tap into our emotions and create applicability thanks to Remy’s performance, the script and the music by Michael Giacchino. We all have dreams & aspirations and this movie’s introduction takes advantage of that. We relate and/or can sympathize. I like the passionate moment when Remy discovers the joy of combining tastes. The abstract animation depicts the psyche of our main character quite well. I am very entertained by the sequence in which Remy leaves the sewer to explore the world above. It has great cinematography and speed leading up to the beautiful view of Paris. Unlike in "Rio", Paris supports the story by giving it a passionate and romantic setting. Instead of focusing on the landmarks and characteristics of Paris, Pixar portrays them only to move the story forward. Another great moment of speed and cinematography is the scene when Remy fixes the soup. I also enjoy the use of cinematography when Remy stops running away from Linguini. Remy is large in the foreground with Linguini quite small in the far background. Bird did the opposite in a shot during the climax of "The Iron Giant" but both shots catch our eye. The contrast that is in both of the shots creates drama. In this moment on "Ratatouille", Remy comes to understand how Linguini is a way to make his dream come true. Also he feels guilt towards the human that spared his life, which makes Remy different from other rats. He has a human side. The romance between Linguini and Colette is a great element that Bird added to the film. It develops quite well in that at first Colette has quite a dislike for Linguini. Colette only came to Linguini's defense because her ideals were being challenged, which are summarized by Gusteau’s motto that anyone can cook. If Linguini is fired for doing something amazing, how long until her situation is threatened? Due to the teacher/student relationship and because she sees Linguini as a representation of her ideals, Colette warms to him. She feels valued in that she has a chance to share her talents with someone and be recognized. Then she becomes angry but mostly afraid and sad that Linguini is distancing himself from her. The romantic side of their relationship arrives by accident but the drama of that moment is quite noteworthy. I relate to stories where weird and unusual characters get the girl. This attention that Linguini gives to Colette is what I believe causes Remy to desire some recognition. I love the moment in the trap when Remy realizes that his life has not been a sham. He is tired of trying to fit into two worlds: rats and cooking. But thanks to his own imagination, he realizes that he made his own reality and identity. By the end of the film, he is both a rat and a cook. When the staff walks out, everything seems hopeless and you need a moment like that in a story for dramatic effect. Other studios would have taken the easy road and had the staff rally behind Remy and Linguini. Pixar however won't cheat their way to achieve resolution in the story and we as the audience must sit in suspense to find out how the protagonists will come out alright in the end. I like the moment when Colette remembers Gusteau’s motto and then comes back to the restaurant. She can relate to Linguini and Remy. As a woman chef in that environment, she knows what it is like to be viewed as an underdog and that is why she has such a value for the idea that “a great artist can come from anywhere”. Ego’s flashback to his mother’s cooking is quite sweet in nature and I almost tear up considering how much I value my mother’s cooking. Upon learning about Remy, Ego must choose between his reputation and his desire to inform others about the joy of food. His review that is delivered to us through narration is the best screenwriting that has come from Brad Bird. It also is one of the best monologues to come out of Pixar. Again, I almost tear up thanks to the vocal performance and the sincerity of the writing. I am glad that Linguini achieves resolution by the end of the movie in that he now has a job as a waiter and is good at it.

The characters in “Ratatouille” are also some of the best that have come out of Pixar. It is something I noticed immediately. The cast members must therefore also be acknowledged. Patton Oswalt gives a passionate performance as Remy. He was also a voice actor for Disney Channel around the same time he was recorded for this movie but it wasn't until 2015 that I learned that. I love the way Oswalt says the line: “If no one wants it, then why are we stealing it?!” Remy is a character trying to find his identity in life. He has a hard time not stealing & sneaking around like a rat and he always seems to be pretending for others. He is trying to fit in with his family and into the human world at the same time. The movie is about him trying to resolve this crisis. Colette under Bird became a very strong character in the tradition of Jessie and Helen Parr from other Pixar films. The film appears to have been missing an ever-present antagonist until Bird took over. That is when Skinner became a dominant character. Ian Holm from “The Lord of the Rings” plays a very convincing Frenchman. He has comic timing and passion himself that makes Skinner enjoyable to watch. The best character and performance in the movie is that from Anton Ego. There is a hint of Nosferatu in his design. The voice of the late Peter O’Toole emites pure drama and reputability. His delivery of the lines is very entertaining and powerful. Our view of Ego changes during his flashback. Instead of seeing him as an antagonist with no heart, we see him as individual who has become lost in a negative cause. He is prideful and in this film, he experiences a dramatic event in his life and career. He remembers why he become a critic and we realize that he has a sincere love of good food. A nice little cinematic touch is that after the flashback, for the rest of the movie, Ego has color in his face that was missing before. Other great performances include that of Janeane Garofalo, who I first heard on "Titan A.E.", and Pixar employees Lou Romano and Peter Sohn. This is Brad Garrett's third Pixar film and he also delivers. John Ratzenberger is almost unrecognizable in his role as the headwaiter, Mustafa. His traditional presence is not as apparent in this movie as in other Pixar films but that is fitting considering the nature of “Ratatouille”.

I tend to judge Pixar films the same and there is a lot about this film to mention in terms of technology, music and so forth. Every Pixar movie has a breakthrough in creating something realistically in the digital world. In “Ratatouille”, it is food. The soup boils like real soup and the omelets make you salivate. The food looks so realistic in this film that it is suicide to watch this movie hungry. The filmmakers did a lot of research in trying to replicate cooking, Paris and rats. When Brad Bird took over the film, he wanted the rats to behave more realistically and I like that. We need the contrast between the rat world and the human world so that Remy’s dream will seem more difficult to achieve. Bird’s screenplay was nominated for an Oscar and rightly so. Just like on “The Incredibles”, the animated performances are well done, especially with Linguini. Michael Giacchino should have won the Oscar for his work in this movie. The music gets better and better as the film moves forward and this makes the story even better. If you compare every montage and memorable sequence in the film, you can see this. We start out with the opening logos and the scene when Remy explores the world above the sewer. As good as the music is in those scenes, they are trumped by Giacchino’s work in the soup-fixing scene and the montage of Remy learning to operate Linguini. This all leads up to the montage that accompanies “Le Festin”. That song is so romantic and hopefully, I wish it to become a classic. To end the film with that song was perfect. The musical score for "Ratatouille" is one of my favorites and I am glad that it won a Grammy. There was no clear Pixar “wow moment” in “Ratatouille” but in the case of this movie, you did not need it. I guess our first view of Paris could be considered the "wow moment". The film does take place in the Pixar Universe due to certain cameos. The Pizza Planet delivery truck is crossing a bridge during the chase between Remy and Skinner. Bomb Voyage from “The Incredibles” can be seen as a mime during the “Le Festin” montage. There is a reference to the subsequent Pixar film “Up” as Dug is the dog that Remy encounters just after he leaves the sewer. I also love Linguini’s Incredible underpants.

“Ratatouille” did win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards as it more than outshined anything else in that category that year. I heard that it almost was nominated for Best Picture. This movie is my favorite movie from 2007 because it has an amazing, romantic feel. “Ratatouille” is like the main course of an expensive meal and it has been made with the same attention & approach that we see in the cooking of food at Gusteau’s. Thanks to Bird, the art of cooking meets filmmaking. The film is very high on my list of favorite animated films because of the message and the passionate words written in the screenplay. The underdog story was never more original. After this, Brad Bird did his first live action film with “Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol” and he did well with that movie. I am glad he later returned to Pixar to write and direct the second "Incredibles".

5 Stars out of 5