In one of the most memorable sequences of Ratatouille,one of the film’s characters, Anton Ego (Peter O’Toole), who is one of Paris’s most influential food critics, and frankly up to this point in the film, a total jerk, is served Ratatouille (the dish). His order is simple, if a tad bit pretentious, “I would like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective.”
Much to his surprise and to that of the audiences, that is exactly what he is served, some perspective, by the means of a trip down memory lane. The moment Anton takes his first bite, his eyes widen, and he recalls a childhood memory, of a simpler time, when he was a little kid, and his mother would cook for him. In that moment and subsequently as a result of meeting the chef who prepared the dish, Anton gains a lot of perspective. That’s almost exactly how Ratatouille functions as a film, it grants the audience some perspective, at least the ones who are perceptive enough or old enough.
A lot has a changed over the 11 years since I first saw Ratatouille: Back then, to me, it was just a film about a rat who loves to cook, later becomes friends with a human, and after facing a series of complicated circumstances, and against all odds, this tiny sewer rat with a passion for cooking, finally gets to run his own restaurant. On a very basic level Ratatouille is about, how no dream, no matter how out of reach it may seem, is too big, and frankly, even today, when I revisit this movie, this interpretation works and makes perfect sense.
Look closer however, and you will find the underlying layers. First, it’s a story of embracing your individuality, Remy (Patton Oswalt) stands out from the rest of his clan, but instead of attempting to fit in, he embraces that uniqueness, while he does try to please them on occasion, he is never too concerned about trying to fit in. He is unique and he is passionate and frankly a great role model( well apart from the occasional stealing and him being a rat.). Rather than trying to keep up with what is expected of him, he sets out to pursue the thing he is passionate about and thus ultimately succeeds.
Its about Chef Gustaue’s (Brad Garrett) simple words, ‘Anybody can cook’, which in the simplest of terms can be interpreted as talent doesn’t distinguish between class, background or frankly in the case of Remy (the rat), even species. Its about a rather unlikely friendship, between Linguini (Lou Romano),a clumsy confused 20 something and this rat, who are able to put aside their differences, and work successfully as team, because they believe in one-another.
Then there is a commentary on gender dynamics in the profession, Colette (Janeane Garofalo) is the only woman working in the kitchen, and as she points out, her success is a bit more complicated than the rest of her male colleagues. Then there are the daddy issues,(yes the rat has some daddy issues) and then there is the underlying theme of family, of being there for each other through difficult times, despite not agreeing with one another.
There are also some thinly veiled jabs at critics. Anton as a character is frivolous, and mean, and pretentious, for a huge chunk of the film. He is not the film’s primary antagonist, but well, he is written in the way filmmakers usually perceive critics, which is kinda ironic, because well despite the jabs, here I am writing a 1000 word piece about how much I love the film.
Now, analyzing a rat movie to this extent might seem excessive, but frankly, there is just something to be said about how writer/directors Brad Bird, and Jan Pinkava incorporate so many interesting layers, alongside a really fun and lively narrative.Of course there are places where its a bit predictable, but I mean, it follows a classic Disney formula to a certain extent and so its extremely difficult to subvert expectations, still the film goes a long way in doing so.
The pace never drops, and no matter what your age, the film is endlessly entertaining, and God forbid if there does come a moment when you find yourself loosing interest in the plot, the design details of the animation are more than enough to keep you occupied. This is especially true for the restaurant design, for Gustaue’s, the place where Remy secretly works, the ingredients, the equipment’s, the cooking processes, its so realistic and detailed, it almost reminiscent of watching an episode of Masterchef.
The voice performances, especially by Patton Oswalt and Ian Holm (Chef Skinner), are wonderful, and so is the music by Micheal Giacchino, which does a great job of complementing the tonality of the film. In the moment when Remy first visits the kitchen at Gustaeu’s restaurant, after accidentally falling off a vent, pay attention to how the music swells and falls, its ups and downs matching Remy’s mood perfectly. At the risk of sounding extremely Anton-like, that scene and its music usage is almost poetic.
The best animation movies in my opinion are able to do two things: Use there medium to tell a wildly imaginative story, which probably couldn’t be told in live action, without extensive CGI, and while being primarily targeted at kids with there colorful imagery, are able to strike an emotional chord as well.
Disney Pixar is frankly the master of balancing this out, with movies like Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, and Ratatouille fits right in. Its visually stunning, with gourmet food shots, the Paris skyline, the dreamy color palette and its characters are developed well enough to leave a strong emotional impact. I don’t know how many of its themes or ideas, its young viewers are able to comprehend, but if nothing else, this film might inspire the young ones to cook, or at least inspire them to follow their dreams, and I guess than is in itself a major achievement.
Is Ratatouille Disney Pixar’s best film? : possibly not. (That title belongs to Up/ Toy Story 3.)
Is it enjoyable, despite numerous rewatches and despite whatever age group you belong to? : Definitely.
Does it stand out from the classic bunch of problematic messaging or weird Disney movies? : Sure!
Finally, Is Ratatouille one of the best films to have come out in 2007 and an absolute Disney classic for the ages?: Hell, Yeah!
