Ratatouille

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Animation

There are few things more disgusting than seeing rats in a kitchen. The dirty, hairy, gross little buggers find ways to go through the smallest crevices, ingratiating themselves on food whether it be new or spoiled. Consider then what would happen if one of these grimy, dirty rats wants nothing else in the world except to cook the finest meals possible. That’s the dilemma facing Remy, the lead character in “Ratatouille”.

The latest in the long line of collaborations between Disney and Pixar Animation, “Ratatouille” tells the tale of Remy, a rat who wants to be less of a scavenging thief, more of a chef who prepares food for fine dining. Voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt, Remy teaches himself to cook by reading Chef Auguste Gusteau’s book “Anyone Can Cook”. Gusteau (Brad Garrett) died after a stinging review from food critic Anton ego (the great Peter O’Toole) and his restaurant has been suffering since.

Under the supervision of Gusteau’s former sous-chef Skinner (the equally great Ian Holm), the Gusteau name has been used for selling ready-to-cook meals. When janitor Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) tries making soup (with horrible results), Remy intervenes to fix the recipe. The result is a tasty delight and Linguini agrees with Remy to keep preparing meals under Remy’s supervision. However, Remy’s dad Django (Brian Dennehy) doesn’t trust humans, warning Remy that they kill rats. It turns out that Linguini is actually Gusteau’s long lost son, and he inherits the restaurant. Now Ego wants to sample Linguini’s cooking, looking to close down the restaurant once and for all.

As one would expect from a Disney/Pixar collaboration, the animation is phenomenal. Just when you think that these movies can’t get any better visually, the people from Pixar always manage to outdo themselves and elevate the medium even further. The images of Paris seem so alive, the movements of the characters so fluid, and the food really looks good enough to eat! If there is a negative to this film, it’s probably the scenes that feature so many rats scampering about on the floors, in the sewers, and particularly in the kitchens! But that’s only because rats, as we all know, aren’t the most pleasant animals to say the least. Kudos to director Brad Bird and his staff for not resting on past animation laurels.

Of course, with luminaries like Peter O’Toole and Ian Holm providing voice work, you get nothing but the best. Holm’s Skinner is creepy, demented, and French in every way imaginable. O’Toole’s smarmy, arrogant, aristocratic Ego truly feels like the food critic from hell, someone you don’t want to disappoint when he orders off your menu. Janeane Garofalo is virtually unrecognizable as Colette as she puts on a very convincing French accent that convinced me she grew up wearing berets and eating baguettes. The same can be said of Garrett of “Everybody Loves Raymond” fame. Oswalt and Romano, though they’re the lead characters, don’t stand out from this crowd, perhaps due to the experienced actors who share screen time with them.

Clocking in at almost two hours of running time, “Ratatouille” is a bit long compared to traditional Disney animated fare. However, no scene is wasted, no dialogue is useless, as they all serve to advance the story of “little chef” Remy and hapless Linguini. My favorite of the Disney/Pixar collaborations has long been “Finding Nemo” with “Cars” coming in at a close second. After watching “Ratatouille” however, I might have to squeeze this latest masterpiece right near the top of my list. Bon appetit!