Setting a rat as a film's main character is a bold strategy, but leave it to Pixar to make our leading rodent one for the ages. Remy is one of Pixar's most fascinating characters to date. He is expertly brought to life by Patton Oswalt, who has quite literally never been better. Remy is one persistent rat because by all accounts, his dream of becoming a chef is beyond ludicrous, but he is not concerned with what everyone else is saying. He is determined to follow his dream and live it. That is a powerful challenge issued to all of us, and who would have thought it would come from a rat (I'll discuss Remy in more detail below)? Remy's partner, Linguini, is yet another stellar character in this ensemble and in the Pixar canon. The estranged son of the famous Chef Gusteau, Linguini is simply trying to find his place in this great big world, which allows for him and Remy to immediately hit it off and form a legendary connection. Upon realizing that they need each other in order to succeed, Remy and Linguini become one of Pixar's most dynamic duos to date. The montage scene featuring Remy teaching Linguini how to cook with his aid is downright classical, resulting in one of my favorite sequences of the film.
The remainder of the ensemble is just as splendid also. Colette is the perfect counterpart to Linguini, fiercely determined to make her mark on the world of cooking. Colette stars in one of the film's best scenes in which she proudly explains to Linguini the importance of this job in which she cites the lack of women in Gusteau's kitchen. It is a short and simple scene, but it allows Colette an opportunity to shine and develop as a character, which pays off immensely by the end of the film. Our villain, Chef Skinner, is a maniacal tyrant tenaciously attempting to ruin Linguini's ascent to the Gusteau's throne. He is an excellent villain because he is just another human being in which we can all probably relate to in some scary fashion. Pixar keeps his characterization simple, and it works fantastically. Eight-time Academy Award nominee Peter O'Toole starring in a Pixar film is almost too good to be true, but as the harsh food critic Anton Ego, O'Toole steals the show. Acting as the second, more menacing villain of the film, Ego experiences an amazing character arc filled with genuine evolution. I will resist spoiling my thoughts on this issue for now, but keep reading because I will return to Ego shortly.
Every Pixar film is breathtakingly gorgeous, and Ratatouille may just be the studio's most visually stunning film to date, with all due respect to Finding Nemo and Wall-E. It does not matter how many times I watch this film; every time, I simply watch in awe, especially when shots of Paris on a grand scale are shown. Paris is the perfect backdrop for this iconic story, and Brad Bird and company have done a flawless job bringing one of the world's most famous cities to life like never before. Speaking of Bird, I sang his praises over and over again in my review of The Incredibles, and I must do so again now. Bird is a genius, plain and simple. His witty yet inspirational script is the stuff legends are made of, and his direction rivals the best work by anyone in the history of animation. Furthermore, musical auteur Michael Giacchino once again blows me away. In Ratatouille, he effortlessly blends the culture of France with his own unique style to create one of his most sophisticated and mature scores to date (the end credits track, in particular, is one of his career highlights).
Pixar films are timeless due to their ability connect to both children and adults on an emotional and entertaining level. However, I would say that Ratatouille is geared more towards adults than children, and that is by no means a critique of the film. It is actually the highest praise I could offer to this masterpiece. Ratatouille stands alongside such mature classics as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Incredibles, and Wall-E as one of the best films ever made that just so happen to be animated. Sure, this film will entertain you (Remy's first attempt to make the soup is an awesome sequence), but beyond that, it will challenge and inspire. Above all, Ratatouille holds true to Walt Disney's famous philosophy: "You're dead if you aim only for children. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway."
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: The original concept for Ratatouille was first conceived in 2001 by Jan Pinkava, the writer/director of one of Pixar's best short films, Geri's Game. He planned the initial story filled with characters, original designs, and sets. However, in the midst of production, Pixar was unsatisfied with the film's direction, so after the massive success of The Incredibles, they brought Brad Bird back to helm the film in 2005. Bird took his crew on a week-long excursion to Paris to fully immerse themselves in the culture, and when they returned, they got to work. The biggest changes to Pinkava's original idea was killing off Gusteau, giving Skinner and Colette more significant roles, and altering the design of the rats. To appropriately capture the look and movements of rats, pet rats were kept in the studio for over a year for the animators to study. Remy's animation called for over one million hairs to be rendered for each shot, which took hours for the animators to properly achieve. Bravo, Pixar.
Behind the Scenes: Two high profile fans of Ratatouille spoke highly of the Pixar masterpiece. TV chef Anthony Bourdain (No Reservations) claims that this is his favorite food-centric film, stating: "They got the food, the reactions to food, and tiny details to food right- down to the barely noticeable pink burns on one of the character's forearms. I really thought it captured a passionate love of food in a way that very few other films have." Furthermore, veteran Disney animation Victor Haboush (Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians) called Ratatouille "the best animated film since Pinocchio." Disney/Pixar knew they had a classic on their hands, but they were skeptical of its chances of becoming the first animated film since Beauty and the Beast to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Instead of campaigning the film in such a prestigious manner, they focused their efforts on winning Best Animated Feature, which it won running away. While Ratatouille did not receive a Best Picture nomination, it did set the record at the time for most Oscar nominations for a computer animated film (Animated Feature, Original Screenplay, Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing). That record was broken one year later by Pixar's next film, Wall-E, which received six nominations.
Favorite Character: Remy is clearly going to be my choice here. Throughout my years of watching Pixar films, no character has grown on me more than Remy has upon additional viewings. At his core, Remy is a dreamer. He wants to become a chef more than anything in the world. The only problem is that he is a rat, and you can probably guess why food and rats would turn people away from a restaurant. However, here's the greatest attribute about Remy: he knows the societal thoughts and inevitable complications he will face, and he still pursues his dream with everything he's got. His plight is so challenging and rather encouraging to me every time I have the privilege of watching Ratatouille. Remy is constantly at war with his limitations and his own friends and family, but yet again, he is not deterred from his mission. We should all be able to pull out some genuine inspiration from this rat. Patton Oswalt turns in a career best performance as the inspiration rat, deftly blending comedy with raw emotion. The animators have once again exquisitely brought one of Pixar's characters to life physically. Remy is a legend, and you will undoubtedly finish watching Ratatouille firmly believing that anyone can cook.
Favorite Scene: Peter O'Toole's Anton Ego is not afforded much screentime, but his final visit to Gusteau's is the film's unquestioned highlight. We have been anticipating Ego's return to the famed restaurant for quite some time, and when he finally settles down to partake of whatever Linguini is serving, we await his response with hastened breath. As the ratatouille is presented, Ego takes a bite, fully expecting to loathe the dish. However, in a brilliant twist that could have only been brought about by Pixar, the taste of the medley of vegetables instantly transports Ego back to his childhood when his mother used to cook the exact same dish that initially ignited his love for food. As we cut back to reality, Ego dramatically drops his pen and quickly finishes off the delightful cuisine. It is such a beautifully simple moment that brings this film together perfectly. Then, whenever O'Toole has the opportunity to read Ego's review of Gusteau's, the film finds its heart and soul. This is the signature Pixar emotional moment, and its payoff is tremendous.Updated Ranking: A few years ago, there would have been absolutely no chance of me ranking Ratatouille as high as I have today. My, how times change.
- The Incredibles
- Toy Story
- Finding Nemo
- Ratatouille
- Monsters Inc.
- Toy Story 2
- A Bug's Life
- Cars
We're sticking with Pixar tomorrow as we travel to outer space in a dystopian future in Wall-E!
-Cody Fleenor
No comments:
Post a Comment