Reviews

Calling a movie perfect is a bold statement, and usually not a correct one. The amount of movies in the world that are deserving of such a title are rarer than diamonds, and when you do find one, it's an experience you keep coming back to, for more and more. Like a great food dish, perhaps one you'd find in Ratatouille.

This is my review of Ratatouille (2007).

What's perfect to me, is probably trash to someone else. And vice versa. Film is a passion of mine because of the inherent nature that we get to love what we love, and nobody in the world can infringe upon the thing that is most important when it comes to reviewing movies: Your opinion. Subjectiveness is the best thing about film and it's what separates film lovers from snobs. This isn't a commentary on film critique, however, it's my review for Ratatouille. I bring it up because of a conversation I had yesterday with a streamer, who made a claim that his favorite film (Lawrence of Arabia), was above anything else I mentioned. The way he framed it was a bit silly, and I understand he loves the film to death, the same way I love movies like Ratatouille. I haven't seen Lawrence of Arabia, but I do plan to watch it, perhaps even review it.

Getting back on track, I re-watched Ratatouille tonight, and remembered that conversation. Ratatouille, if somehow you've not seen it, is an animated movie made by Pixar, about a rat named Remy (Patton Oswald), and a struggling chef named Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano). Remy is a lover of food inspired by the legendary chef Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garret), and he exercises his talent for cooking day and night, much to the concern of his father Django (Brian Dennehy), believing Remy should accept the life of being a rat, and the realities that come with it. Rats are scavengers and must take what they can get, be it garbage from the streets of Paris or fine ingredients from the freezer of one of it's finest restaurants.

There's little I can say about the visual beauty in this film that hasn't already been said; it being a Pixar film it is a given that the animations are beautiful and seamless, smooth and lifelike. There's so much color in every scene from the glow of the lights in downtown Paris, down to the purple hair of Colette (Janeane Garofalo). The nature of the film does nothing but favors for the eyes of the viewer. Indeed, every dish is so detailed that you can practically smell it through the screen. It doesn't matter who you are, if you aren't hungry after seeing this movie, you've got an eating disorder.

The characters are great, and so well written, with the dialogue being astonishingly depthful and funny at the same time. While watching, I was reminded of why I so loved Spongebob in the cartoon's early seasons, bits and pieces of that show would carry underlying messages a child doesn't see, but when you go back and watch as an adult, you appreciate it all the more, because combined with the nostalgia from your childhood, and the new perceptions that come with age, it's an experience like no other. Ratatouille hits this fine balance with accuracy rarely found anywhere else, and it's a piece of cinematic treasure I would call unforgettable in every way.

The plot is a simple one, but simplicity is that which all the greatest films are made of, are they not? Once Remy and Linguini discover how they can work together to save the suffering name of Gusteau's restaurant, nothing can stop them. Other than the greed of the current head chef Skinner (Ian Holm), that is, who wants to focus on frozen burritos more than the luxurious cuisine Gusteau's restuarant was once known for. In his effort to keep his job and make ends meet, Linguini lands the job at Gusteau's by the good will of his mother who apparently knew the now deceased founder, leaving a letter of recommendation for him. Of course, he is a nobody in the head chef's eyes, and so Linguini is hired on as a garbage boy. Linguini is there one night and and in his clumsiness, knocks down a pot of soup. In his panic he gets it back on the stovetop, and frantically puts random spices into the soup, ruining it. This is where Remy comes in, he sees the disaster unfold from the window in the roof, and rushes in to save the soup. By the time he's done, it's a new customer favorite, and even the critics have taken notice, so Linguini is able to keep his job, now as a proper chef.

A few practice sessions at home with Remy later, and Linguini is able to pass himself off as a skilled chef long enough for the most esteemed critic in Paris to take notice, Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole). The movie takes us on a journey of wonderful food with a message of staying true to who you are, ignoring the naysayers, and becoming the best even when you are what would seem to be the most unlikely candidate in existence. Be it a rat, or a struggling chef, on the verge of homelessness. There's even a love story mixed in, always a plus in my book.

Is Ratatouille a perfect film? Is there even a such thing as perfection when you're talking about film? If you ask me, yes. Perfection is subjective, and the message of Ratatouille will resonate more for some than others. I can relate well to the themes the story conveys, and it does more than just be a funny distraction for two hours. It leaves you provoked by thought, and with a warm feeling in your heart. So yes, this movie to me, is perfect.