Rickey Reviews "Ratatouille"

Rickey is going on record as saying that “Ratatouille” may actually be the best film he’s seen so far this year. Rickey has seen a fair few, but this one takes the cake. He was really floored by it. It's flawless. Rickey liked the fact that the film’s protagonist develops a disdain for the status quo garbage that his fellow rats eat. Yep, “Ratatouille” centers around Remy, a rat who hates eating garbage. Not a bad conceit for a children’s film, eh? While his family members indiscriminately nibble away at moldy pieces of what (they think) used to be food, it disgusts Remy. He makes daily trips to an old woman's kitchen in search of finer dining, grabbing cheeses and fruits before racing away in the hopes of going unnoticed.

Naturally, hijinks ensue and Remy ends separated from his family and pursuing a cooking career in Paris in a formerly well-renowned kitchen. So why are we discussing this on this blog? Well, in case you haven’t seen it already, "Ratatouille" is a movie completely in love with food. Appreciation of flavors is a recurring theme, and in an early scene Remy compares cooks to artists and craftsmen. Even better is how the film’s cooking scenes capture the calamity and chaos that make a professional kitchen so much of a joy to witness. It may sound gross, but trust us, nothing in recent animated films can really compare to watching an army of rats frantically working together to concoct a dish in a kitchen.

The film’s most moving moment occurs when a notoriously harsh food critic samples a dish prepared by Remy which is so damned good that it triggers a memory rush to his childhood. And the villainous critic is left speechless and in tears. This is one of the best movie moments in recent memory. We found it inspiring, not just to an amateur cook such as Rickey, but for any profession or trade to see a film so eloquently state how powerful a well crafted piece of work can truly be. It’s terrific to finally see a movie that values striving for excellence over settling for the banal. And as the movie’s multiples jabs directed at the frozen dinner industry suggest, mediocrity simply will not do. Remember this when weighing the pros and cons of taking the kids to see Larry the Cable Guy in “Shrek 8.”

See, Rickey’s a bit of a snob in his tastes, and even more so when it comes to dining out. And this ties in nicely with that whole mission statement thingy that Adam discussed in a previous post. We’d like to strive for excellence in our reviews and recommendations on this blog. Of course Adam went and screwed everything up by reviewing a ribs joint in his first write up. Just kidding buddy—those ribs were terrific. Indeed, Rickey is not so much a “Foodie” (a trite little neologism drives Rickey up the freaking wall) as much as a “Gourmand.” But if you really are looking for a more accurate classification for Rickey, just go with “Food Pervert.” That works nicely too. And if you’re looking for a recipe for Ratatouille’s titular dish, proceed hither and give things a shot. Just don’t blame Rickey if you blow your damned eyebrows off.