Ratatouille
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
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Paris, France—the heart of culinary lore, gourmet cooking, and a touch of pretension for the distinction is the Paris that the film's protagonist Remy (Patton Oswalt) arrives to. A rat, Remy has aspirations to be a famous chef like his idol Auguste Gusteau who has since passed away. With highly developed taste buds and sense of smell (he was the poison checker for his family and friends), Remy has a head-start. There are, however, a few obstacles to achieving his dream: a) he has no formal training, and b) he's a rat.

Gusteau appears to Remy as an apparition and champion, dispensing sage advice about food while reiterating his firm belief in the democratization of cooking: anybody can cook. With that encouragement, Remy forms an alliance with a garbage boy named Linguini (Lou Romano) at the once renowned Gusteau's restaurant. Linguini needs Remy's mad cooking skills and Remy needs Linguini to hide his true identity. With Remy as puppet-master, they covertly avoid the watchful eyes of head-chef Skinner (Ian Holm) who suspects something is up. Adding to the drama is a budding romance between Linguini and French chef Collette (Janeane Garafalo), an imminent review from the notoriously picky food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), and Remy's attempt to reconcile his chef dreams with the wishes of his family—and species.

Rats and food—the very thought of that combination elicits an immediate disgust. It's a testament to the strength of the story and characters in Ratatouille that viewers forget their disdain and become enthralled with Remy's struggle to become a top chef. Gender relations, class relations, and the relationship between humans and rats are all touched upon deftly. The animation by Pixar is absolutely gorgeous, with crystal clear detailing on items like wine glasses, bread, and of course, the gourmet cuisine—it's more than enough to make one's stomach growl.

The story encapsulates both the joy and labour of gourmet cooking, as well as the romantic ideal of Paris as the world's culinary capital. Funny, captivating and downright scrumptious, you'll find yourself rooting for Remy and bypassing all the impossibilities (and matters of cleanliness) of a rat cooking delicious meals. In Ratatouille, just as “anyone can cook,” so is anything possible, even for a rat.

Video: How's it look?
Original Theatre Aspect Ratio (the animation is stunning and best viewed on LCD or plasma)

Audio: How's it sound?
Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Surround Sound (music reminiscent of the streets of Paris, best enjoyed while snacking on a fine cheese platter)

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• Lifted (hilarious short about attempted alien abduction)
• Fine Food & Film: A Conversation with Brad Bird and Thomas Keller (featurette with writer/director Brad Bird and critically acclaimed chef of The French Laundry Thomas Keller on the creative process, emotional connection to one's art, and how to be great)
• Deleted Scenes (3) (scenes in unfinished form; why they were cut; and immense plot changes from original conception)
• Your Friend the Rat (featuring Remy and Emile) (a ten-minute funny propaganda piece about the history of rats; rat trivia; and how Alberta is one of few rat-free places in the world)

Closing Thoughts
I like food. A lot. And even more so after watching Ratatouille upon where I had a hankering for a 5-course meal at a French restaurant. Unfortunately, my wallet doesn't allow for such spontaneous indulgences. As a result, I dispense the following advice: watch this movie with your whole family (immediately and over and over again), but not on an empty stomach!


Review brought to you by our friend Anh. Anh Chu is a writer, preditor (tv speak for producer/editor) and not actually a bodily function like her name implies. You can reach her at choochoochoo@hotmail.com.