RATATOUILLE

US, 2007, 110 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O’ Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofolo, Will Arnett.
Directed by Brad Bird.

A delightfully entertaining film that can be recommended for young and old.

Unless you have a phobia about rats. This film will probably be welcomed by any Association for the Rehabilitation and Protection of Rats. The danger is, perhaps, that some kiddies may get the idea that they should have a rat for a pet!

Pixar Studios have a long record of making animated films that please both adults and children. They have won Oscars for Finding Nemo and The Incredibles and their other films, all of which are worth seeing, are the two Toy Story films, A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc and Cars (this one may be their least successful).

The film, as the title suggests, is also about food – in France, Paris to be precise.

We are introduced to one of the most genial of rats, Remy, who has a gourmet gift of smell and taste for good food – and is, therefore, something of a misfit in the colony where his father and brother, Emile, are not discriminating in the garbage they collect and eat. These opening sequences make the rats quite congenial, though not for the old lady who watches cooking programs which also delight Remy as does her kitchen. When she wakes to find her house infested by the colony, she grabs a shotgun and chases the rats down the sewers.

Luckily Remy washes up in Paris just near the restaurant of his favourite chef whose TV programs and book proclaim, Anyone Can Cook.

Unfortunately, the restaurant has hit hard times after bad reviews and the death of chef, Gaston. The reviews come from the miserable food critic, Anton Ego, ‘the Grim Eater’. It must be mentioned that he is voiced by Peter O’ Toole at his best and, thankfully, he appears again towards the end of the film. O’ Toole gives the voice his oratorical best and is highly entertaining.

The plot is not entirely predictable, especially when Remy sees the young garbage-putter-outer, Linguini, interfering with the soup and remedies the crises to the ecstatic responses of the customers. A deal is worked out where Linguini does the work and gets the credit while Remy hides in Linguini’s chef’s hat, directing him and his actions by pulling the left and right tufts of his hair! His success drives the chief chef, a scheming villain Skinner (voiced by Ian Holm), paranoid and beserk. In the meantime, the only woman cook allowed in the kitchen is Colette. Linguini, of course, falls for her.

Actually, there is plenty more plot, so the story keeps up the interest. While Linguini is a variation on the Napoleon Dynamite type and not too bright, Remy is full of ideas and skills. However, his crisis is whether he will help the humans according to his talent or acknowledge his rodent roots and return to the colony as his father wants.

There are several peril sequences which work extremely well: the rats hunted by the old lady, Remy gushing through the sewers, Remy pursued all over Paris by Skinner.

Just when you think it is all over for everyone and Linguini and Remy are unmasked, enter Anton Ego to pass judgment on the new young chef. The sequence where they prepare a wonderful meal is unexpected and a joy to watch.

Writer-director Brad Bird has a fine sense of humour to go with his exuberant talent for making cartoons come alive.

1.The universal appeal of the film? Acclaim?

2.The quality of the design, the re-creation of Paris, the delineation of characters, the action sequences and chases, colour? The verbal wit of the screenplay? The musical score?

3.The focus on food, gourmet, French? The kitchen, the restaurant? The menus, the customers? The critics? The contrast with rats and garbage? Remy and good food?

4.The introduction to Gusteau, his television program, his book, ‘Anyone Can Cook’? the critics, Anton Ego and his visualisation, sour, the Grim Eater? The decline of the restaurant after his bad review?

5.The introduction to Remy, his character, relationship with his father, with Emile? His love for good food, the family’s love for garbage? The poison, his being appointed the poison detector? Watching Gusteau on television, reading his book? His gifts, his sense of smell, taste? The cheese, the food in the old lady’s house? Taking the food to the colony? The lady waking up, finding the rats, the chase, her shooting, the roof and the nest, the collapse?

6.Remy and the bonds with his family, his father’s advice, his seeming singular? Their all being flushed away, the impact of the sequence in the sewers, his being lost, arriving in Paris, at Gusteau’s restaurant?

7.Gusteau, dead? Yet his appearing in Remy’s imagination? His reflecting Remy’s thoughts? An entertaining character? Skinner looking after the restaurant, his Napoleonic ways, his short size, scheming, the staff, the customers, the frozen food plans? The encounter with Linguini, the letter, his appointing him to take out the garbage? The soup, Linguini interfering, Remy watching, his saving the situation, the critic praising the soup, more orders? Linguini getting the job?

8.Linguini and Remy, the initial confrontation, the plan, hiding in the chef’s hat, pulling the tufts of hair to direct Linguini? The skills, the menus, the customers? Skinner’s suspicious reaction, seeing rats, spying? Collette and the rivalry, the attraction of Linguini to Collette? Being apprenticed to her? His life and success in the kitchen? Remy and his happiness?

9.Emile and the father surviving, the meeting with Remy, his going back to the colony, the discussions, the issues of Remy’s aim in life? His brother’s reaction, lackadaisical, interested in food, garbage? Remy trying to test him out, especially with the cheese? Emile giving up?

10.Skinner, the documents about Gusteau’s son, Linguini as the heir, the discussions with the lawyer? The blood test? Remy taking the documents, Skinner pursuing him through Paris – the excitement of the chase sequence? The varieties of locations?

11.Anton Ego, the initial meeting with him, his review, his later reading the papers, Gusteau’s success, his decision to return, wanting to condemn the restaurant? The dinner, the crisis? His waiting? The meal, the ratatouille? His change of heart?

12.The family, stealing the food, the refrigerator, Linguini unhappy with them? Remy’s return, Collette and her love for Linguini? The crisis, the staff walking out, Collette going off on her bike? Her seeing Gusteau’s book – ‘Anyone Can Cook’? Remy and his return? The relief for Linguini? The rats all helping in the preparation of the meal – the vitality of this sequence? The preparing of the ratatouille?

13.Skinner, the inspector, his spying, being tied up, obsessed with the rats, wanting them exposed?

14.Ego, eating the meal, remembering his childhood and happiness, the good review, losing his job, meeting the cook, the new bistro – for Ego and the rats?

15.The quality of the humour, suitability for all ages, the positive message?