But Ratatouille tops the list because it is simply the most unexpected Pixar film of the bunch. True, saying Ratatouille is better then Wall•E or Finding Nemo is basically saying which exotic chocolate you prefer; they all are exquisite. And if that lame food analogy doesn't convince you, well, I just simply have to say that whenever Ratatouille pops up on the screen I am hypnotized and can't pull away. The movie sweeps me away into its world of talking animals that can't talk to humans. It's rooted in reality while still maintaining a cartoon perspective on everything. Remy (Patton Oswalt) communicates with the hapless Linguini (Lou Romano) by pulling on his hair and controlling his actions in the kitchen.
Ratatouille is also bolstered by a strong voice cast, which includes Jeneane Garofalo, Ian Holm, and Peter O'Toole as a terrifying food critic who, "...loves food...if I don't love it, I don't swallow." The story is about a rat who loves food, but obviously rats in the kitchen are a bad thing. And when a horde of rats engulf a kitchen and begin preparing dinner for unaware customers, it still is pretty gross, but simultaneously hilarious. And what really makes this movie work is it doesn't exist in a fairy tale land where everything turns out good; a health inspector sees all the rats, and the famed restaurant is closed. Many animators would have kept the health inspector subplot out, but this added touch of reality does wonders for the movie.
That, and an excellent speech by Peter O'Toole's character, Anton Ego, really catapult this movie far and above most animated movies. It is a message I hope hit home with many critics, because it is basically director Brad Bird's way of commenting on how easy it is to laugh a scorn at something someone has put their heart and soul into creating. Bird also directed The Incredibles and last decade's The Iron Giant (criminally underrated). He is a fine storyteller, and I look forward to his new live action film due out in the near future. For now, I leave you with Ego's famous speech at the end of the movie:
"In many ways the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful then our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and the defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new need friends. Last night I experienced something new; an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins then those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less then the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more." - Anton Ego
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