I don't know what it is with Pixar. They can't seem to go wrong with movies (I never saw 'Cars' so I'm sure some people
might beg to differ here). But every film they make is funny and smart and yet has enough heart without being overly sappy.
I wonder how the filmakers at Pixar would have fared if they were working in a different genre of film than animation. Would
they be as good?
It doesn't matter; but this new film of theirs is just as good as their others. Which is nice
because I didn't expect it to be. There are four different kinds of films. Those that look good in the trailers and then
really are good, those that look bad and really are bad, those that are the biggest disappointments because they look good
but are really awful, and then those ones which are nice surprises because they look bad but are really fantastic. 'Ratatouille'
is one of those; the trailer made the film look pretty ridiculous to me, and while yes, the premise of the film is ridiculous,
the film itself turned out to be really enjoyable. But that's the thing with Pixar; their stories are usually absurd, but
the movie knows this and is proud of this. It isn't like 'Hot Fuzz' where it delights and revels in it's absurdity, but it
does play it up and enjoy it, and allows the audience to enjoy it as well. Some films do this and it makes them even more
ridiculous. It takes a skilled film artist to take an absurd story and make a good movie. Pixar has proven many times over
and yet again that they can do this.
The film is not laugh out loud funny, but it is lighthearted and never loses
this feel. There are memorable lines and each character is easy to like (especially Remy-that's the cutest rat I've ever
seen-not since Curious George has an animated film character been so darn cute).
The animations is, of course,
brilliant. Everything seems so real, especially the rats whose movements are so realistic I wonder how many hours the animators
spent observing real rats to get their characters movements exact (the same goes for 'Finding Nemo'). The people seem a bit
over the top, but this holds true for the human characters in all of Pixar's films, and it adds to the character of the characters.
There
were only a two minor quibbles I had with this film; the first is that there are many moments near the end of the film where
it seems to be coming to an end and then a new plot thread is developed. And the main conflict is a little hard to catch;
I would have thought that it was between Linguini/Alfredo and the head chef, but this conflict is resolved and the film continues.
So then is it between Linguini/Alfredo and Anton Ego? I couldn't tell. The film itself isn't exactly long (1 hour 50 min)
but the numerous branchings out of plot at the end make it feel long. The other thing I thought was a little off was the
sort of romance between Collette and Linguini/Alfredo. To me it seemed awkward and out of place of the film. And the conflict
between Linguini/Alfredo and Remy didn't seem very believable; of course they would be friends again. It didn't last long
enough to shake up the plot. I also thought that the film got a bit preachy in parts about doing what you love and following
your dreams no matter the cost. Ok, that's fine and good, a good thing to tell people, but people have heard this speech
over and over and over again from a thousand different sources and I'm sick of hearing it myself. Not that I disagree with
this statement; but this film tends to rehash this ideal, especially towards the end and it got tiring.
I love to
cook, and even more than cooking, I love to eat what I cook. I love gormet food, a little indulgence ever now and again.
If I were not a film critic I would be a food critic (maybe eventually I will be both). My love of food and cooking no doubt
added to the appeal of the film for me (and I must say I've never thought of food and flavors in terms of colors before).
Throw aside any misgivings you might have had like me and go see this film. It will leave a taste akin to tiramisu in your
mouth, rather than something unpleasant like haggis. And pay attention to the actors voicing the characters; Ian Holm is
Chef Skinner (crazy, I know, right? Totally doesn't sound like him!) and Brad Garrett is Auguste Gusteau (ditto! I never
would have known!). It's a mark of the talent of the actors in this film; they're totally recognizable behind their voices.
Let's hope next summer Pixar can match this film.
Best moment: Remy
and Emile in the kitchen in the beginning; the old lady is after them!
Worst moment: Linguini and Remy have a falling
out. Cheesy. And there's no emotion.
Best quote: Skinner freaks out to his lawyer about the rat: 'Oooooo! It's
here! No, it's here! It's everywhere!'
Why you should see it: It's better than the trailer made it look. And
it's Pixar. Plus check out the stellar cast.
Why you should choose something else: It takes too long to resolve
it's conflicts, and there are too many false resolutions of the plot.
