Ratatouille

Thank goodness for Pixar!

After a disappointing start to the summer movie season (with no real stand out films), Ratatouille is a beacon of hope, proudly declaring that good, entertaining movies with interesting characters and exciting action still exist. It may be marketed as a children's film, but don't let that fool you. This is quite simply the smartest, most mature popcorn flick of the year, not mention the most fun.

It's not that I should be overly surprised. Pixar has consistently put out movies that are so creative and refreshing, that they have become somewhat of a Godsend in the often soulless pit of Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. Even their last film Cars, which I will admit is my least favourite of their movies, managed to show last year's onslaught of hyperactive cartoons that you don't need screaming characters, constant action, hip comedy, and a script that talks down to its audience in order to make a heartfelt children's film.

Simply put, they know what they're doing, and Ratatouille is wonderful. It's about a rat, Remy, who wants to be the finest chef in all of Paris, and is given his chance when he teams up with a bumbling dishboy, Linguini, at a legendary (albeit past its prime) restaurant. When Remy's meals start winning over new customers, it's Linguini who takes the credit, but head chef Skinner isn't about to let the upstart cook take over his kitchen.

Ratatouille succeeds on three major levels. It provides interesting characters and allows them to grow, it manages to create a rat's eye view of the world that hilariously comments on human nature, and it unifies everything with a heart warming theme that is instantly relatable to every audience member. It's the Pixar model of success - Character, Point of View, and Theme.

Aside from Remy and Linguini, our leading duo, Ratatouille is filled with wonderful characters. My favourite being Anton Ego, the harshest food critic in Paris voiced to perfection by Peter O'Toole. Ego lives for food, but has forgotten how to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. He writes in a coffin shaped room, hoping that his scathing criticisms will doom mediocre restaurants. Ego has very little screen time, but the Pixar team manages to use every second to create a fleshed out monster. As the story nears it's conclusion, Ego has a monologue, so well written and delivered, that I found myself more emotionally involved with his supporting character than I have been with most film's lead characters.

As for the point of view, it's difficult to make a movie that refreshingly looks through the eyes of an animal species, but Ratatouille manages to make almost everything fresh. Sure there are a few scenes where the "humans are bad" symbolism is a bit heavy, but for the most part Remy's conflict between following his outlandish humanized dream or appeasing his garbage-loving rat family is unique. I also particularly enjoy how Remy is merely a bystander to a world he vaguely understands. He has no control, and at times is caught up in a whirlwind of human activity in order to survive. A thrilling sequence early on has Remy trying to escape the kitchen while avoiding detection. It's an exceptionally exciting set piece, and it's hiliarious to see how a common kitchen can be a series of death traps.

But it wouldn't mean anything if there wasn't a theme to connect all the dots. This time, it's broadly stated in the title of the book Remy adores called Anyone Can Cook. While the follow you dreams theme has been excessively used in past movies, it has rarely felt more suitable or original than in Ratatouille. As the multiple plot threads weave toward the finale, everything connects in an emotionally fulfilling way. I will admit to even being a bit choked up by the film.

Ratatouille is easily one of my favourite films of the year. It's brilliant, and further cements Pixar's repuation as the best animation studio, or film studio for that matter, in North America. Not since the early days of Walt Disney has there been such a consistent outpouring of excellence by a group of dedicated artists. It's a shame I have to wait another year for their next movie.

Star Rating - **** out of 4