Ratatouille (2007)
Director(s): Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava.
Runtime: 1h 51min.
Awards:
Oscar (2008) - Best Writing, Original Screenplay
Oscar (2008) - Best Animated Feature
Annie (2008) - Best Animated Feature
Studio(s): Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Pictures
Release date: June 2007
(bad) Synopsis
Sewer rat has an existential crisis.
Also, he cooked tbh.
No, really, he actually does cook.
Notes/Opinion
Honestly, this film is surprisingly existential and heartwarming for its premise, because my God the premise requires suspension of disbelief! Like, obviously this is not how you should actually go about a rat in a restaurant.
Anyway, Ratatouille is one of those stories that looks at humanity from an ‘outside perspective’, so to speak. The whole story plays out due to Rémy being captivated by a certain aspect of humans: being able to create. Not just doing what you need in order to survive, but actively making your life richer. More flavorful, even.
Narratively, the choice of making our protagonist a rat of all things is oddly inspired. As people, we always put ourselves at a certain risk when pursuing a creative path (writing, cooking, art, and so on). In the case of Rémy, that risk becomes very exaggerated and stark: the world is against him more than it would be for any human being, no matter how poor their odds!
Like Ego says near the end, ‘new talent’ has it hard, and putting ourselves out into the world requires a vulnerability that does not always pay off. It is no surprise, then, that he eventually finds another job investing in small businesses. Greatly changed by that dinner at Gusteau’s, the former critic has taken it upon himself to defend and support ‘new talent’.
The film also taps into another risk for artists of all kinds, especially as they start out: being taken advantage of in one way or another, not always receiving credit for their work. While I don’t think Linguini is a terrible person, as a human being and heir to the restaurant he does have a lot of power over Rémy. Their whole fallout happens because (understandably), Linguini is giving credit to anyone but the rat.
Things go south when the lanky redhead comes clean (of course!!!), which is exactly the reason I commend him for doing so. It was always going to turn out poorly for Linguini, and he came clean anyway. Respect!
I think he and Colette choose to stay after everyone else is gone because, to an extent, their own positions in the kitchen and the world are not all that different from Rémy’s (albeit much less extreme).
Wow, sorry, this has been a long one!
Anyway, Ratatouille gets better the more you think about it. The animation can feel a bit dated when you look at the CGI we have now, but it definitely has a warm, pleasant feel to it. This movie is absolute chef’s kiss1 and Pixar at its finest. Quite possibly one of my favorites ever. Would recommend to anyone who’s got a Craft that they love, that one thing they simply must do.
Sources: Google, Wikipedia, IMDB.
Schaffrillas has made a great video on Ratatouille, feel free to check it out!
See what I did there? OK, no.
When I watched this as a kid I thought it was just a funny movie about a talking rat. But the older I get, I realize just how amazing this movie really is! I loved this post! 🧀🐀
Fantastic write up. I remember watching Ratatouille growing up, so strange to think about it as being dated now.