Movie of the week: Ratatouille (2007)
Directed by Brad Bird
There are some amazing films from all over the world, so to start things off, I want to go with something easy to watch— a movie for people that don’t like movies if you will.
For instance, people that don’t watch movies very often may not be used to the specific humour in some, may not enjoy sci-fi or foreign films, or maybe they’ve never watched anime before. I want to start off simple, and give you guys a movie that is easy to watch, understand and enjoy. After this, I will slowly delve into the more niche movies— maybe get you to step out of your comfort zone!
Ratatouille is a masterpiece— its got romance, France, delicious-looking meals, and most importantly, Remy the rat. For those that are not too interested in an animated film, I ask that you give this movie a chance (if you haven’t already). This Disney/ Pixar movie is rated 8/10 on IMDb, 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 96% on Metacritic— a highly rated movie, and for good reason.
Ratatouille is about 'Remy' the rat, who wants nothing more than to explore his passion— cooking. He finds himself in Paris with an opportunity to do just that, using his culinary skills in Gusteau’s Restaurant (his idol).
Throughout the movie, you start to connect with Remy and want the best for him— through the satisfying sequences of him throwing herbs and spices into soup, his friendship with Linguine (his cooking partner) and his struggles as a rat in a human world. Can they ever live in peace? Will Remy ever be able to cook freely, and live his dream? Ratatouille gets you emotionally invested— which I could argue is a perfect distraction from the craziness of COVID-19.
Remy is not the only character that you will fall in living with. Who can resist a strong, powerful woman in any movie—let alone one that is French, a Chef, and rides a motorcycle; Colette Tatou is all those things. “I am the toughest cook in this kitchen! I have worked too hard, and for too long to get here…” That woman is as inspiring as they come— I don’t know about anyone else, but I could certainly use some inspiration these days… After all, anyone can cook!
Ratatouille is an easy film to watch that ticks all the boxes, and so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t watch it. To quote director Brad Bird: “It’s French, it’s food and it’s got a rat in it!”
Blog By Kristen Dickson