Ratatouille

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There was a long, drawn out time frame between the release of this film and when I finally saw it only just a couple of years prior to this review. If I ever brought up not seeing 'Ratatouille', I may as well have been saying I never saw 'Toy Story' with the way most people would react. It was somehow shocking, but in all honesty, 'Ratatouille' was just a movie I didn't think was up my alley. This wasn't like 'Cars' where I initially thought it looked dumb. It just looked like it wasn't really for me. I'm no kitchen connoisseur, nothing popped out as particularly special, and I guess I just didn't feel like I got it.

However, I got much more out of it this time upon realizing that the message it's trying to convey doesn't necessarily have anything to do with kitchen skills. In fact, I really regret not paying closer attention to what the film had to say before. It didn't pass me by completely the first time, but this time it actually sunk in. Anyone who has seen this gets it - basically, those potentially considered insignificant can make all the difference if only given the opportunity, and it shows the lesson here with both of its main characters. Starting with Remy (Patton Oswalt), he's a rat who has been gifted with highly developed senses of taste and smell. He has dreams of following in the footsteps of his personal hero, Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett), and becoming a well-renowned cook. The fact that he's a rat holds him back a little bit though.

After an adventurous series of events leaves Remy alone and separated from his family, he eventually happens upon Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano); a clumsy garbage boy who is made to attempt to remake someone's soup after spilling it. Remy sees him screwing it up, fixes his mistakes, and soon Linguini is praised for his skills and promoted. With the help of Remy, Linguini creates and recreates various dishes from the menu (did I mention this was Gusteau's restaurant?) and receives more and more praise. Tension is formed as Linguini steals Remy's thunder, taking the credit for his newfound friend's work. So there's also that common underlying "don't screw your friends over" lesson we've seen a lot of before as well. But I would suggest the first lesson I mentioned is the main point of the film.

Certain things I appreciated about the film have a lot to do with its overall inviting atmosphere. Here, we have a beautifully animated rendition of Paris, France, that's almost enough to make you wanna just up and travel. But on a more mindful note, the film has a lot to do with the powers of creativity, following your dreams, and the idea that, indeed, "anyone can cook". However, it doesn't fail in providing the message that to be successful in pursuing that dream (whatever it may be), it's still hard work. I think that's what's truly to be appreciated here, and Pixar tends to have this way with about 90% of their films. They simply don't treat anyone like their kids, not even the kids. There's usually an underlying cleverness and reality to what they create, no matter how fantastical it can get.

Once again, this is one of the more fun films in Pixar's library, and I'd suggest that it's one if their best all-around feel-good films. It's cute, it's funny, but it's also inspiring, and it kind of does make one think "I want to try something new next time I'm in the kitchen". This manages to hit that middle ground for Pixar in that you can take what it's trying to say seriously, but you also know that the film isn't one that's gonna make you misty-eyed. This makes for a fun flick that leaves you with a smile on your face, and perhaps an increase in appetite because, as I saw, a lot of this is inviting, both as far as the environment and the food go. I think a lot of people get a lot more out of it than I do, but I certainly enjoy it as something to tune into when I might need cheering up, inspiration for creativity, or just to escape to the streets of Paris France for a short time.

'Ratatouille' would go on to win Pixar's third Best Animated Picture Oscar (after 'Finding Nemo' and 'The Incredibles'), this time beating out hardly any competition between 'Surfs Up' and 'Persepolis' (remember those movies?). More importantly, however, the film would enter the hearts of many, and would become one of the more popular titles in the library if only just because it's a feel-good film. This is one of those cases where it doesn't really feel like things have to make sense, because the underdog story it tells is just good enough to look past such nonsense - like a rat controlling someone's limbs with their hair. It's silly, but hey, for some reason, it works!

4/5

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