Ratatouille

Everyone can dream.

By Linda Winsh-Bolard

This superbly American perception of life is followed by: anyone can achieve their dream, and the concept is an integral part of Ratatouille.

Remy is a rat. A cute, intelligent, sweet and nice rat, but nevertheless a rat whose well developed sense of smell and taste is put in use by his large family to sniff out the potential poisoning in the garbage the family uses for their daily sustenance.

But Remy is also a rat with a dream, a big, sweet smelling dream in which Remy wants to create, using his superior senses, Remy wants to be a chef. French cuisine chef no less.

This is not America, this is Paris, part of the dream, Remy's most prized possession is the old cookbook written by the great chef Gusteau- "Anyone Can Cook". And fate brings them together.

Remy dreams as he watches Gusteau's kitchen and the ghost of great chef teaches and guides him. Alas, not being more than a figment of imagination, the chef cannot help when the boy Linguini spoils the soup.
Gusteau cannot, but Remy can and does.

And so the meeting of two dreamers begins. Linguini's dream is small, he wants to keep his job, having lost so many previously, even though he is just the sweeping boy, and perhaps, one day, be noticed by the beautiful Colette. Then this soup thing happens, and Linguini is asked to cook the wonder again, which he cannot, and terrified he makes a pact with Remy. Remy agrees ,because Remy needs Linguini to fulfill his dream of being a great chef-together they try for their dreams

The walk to the stars is often complicated.

On the way there stands Anton Ego, the Grim Eater, a food critic with the power to make or undo any restaurant, Auguste Gusteau died mysteriously after his restaurant was downgraded one whole star, and a cooking rat might be too much for Grim Eater. Colette, the only female in the kitchen, who fought hard to get ahead in this male dominated environment, despairs of babysitting the boy Linguini. Skinner the hot tempered, despot chef driven by profit rather than quality, who inherited the restaurant and Emile, Remy's brother rat, who support Remy although he himself is happy to be just who he is, eating whatever is there. There is also the rest of the rat family, and they are always hungry. How could this end well?

The film has all the usual Disney's trappings, the rat is as human as possible for a small, shy rat to be, becomes a rat-person bravely avoiding detection by humans, who'd kill him on sight, dangers of kitchen and restaurant life, gliding, dancing, running, always cute. Pet shops be afraid, be very afraid, remember what has happened to the Dalmatians.
Linguine is the simple, lost, hopeful soul with tender heart, lots of feelings for the best girl, and little faith.

Five stars restaurant, friendship, facing who one really is, which in this case is an oxymoron of a rat in the kitchen as the real chef, making choices about career and family, all that, but not much more .

Music, animation, cooking in dance numbers, all have been seen in various costumes and sets in other Disney films. It is always pleasing and never quite amazing. A light luncheon.


Academy winner director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and Pixar Studios (The Cars, Finding Nemo) came together on this project. It does not look like they overcame the Disney's mark on this film. Pity.

Over 270 different foods were created for the computer animation, each was cooked in the film's kitchen, photographed and eaten afterward by happy crew.


Screenplay and directing:Brad Bird , Pixar studio animation; Voices:Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter O´Toole, Brad Garret, Janeane Garofalo, Will Arnett, Julius Callahan, James Remar.