Ratatouille (Director: Brad Bird, USA, 2007): My first thought upon seeing an animated rat cooking in the kitchen of a French restaurant was “Wow! I hope this film can get kids interested in good food.” So I hope we don’t end up seeing Ratatouille Happy Meals at McDonald’s. Seriously, although the main theme of the film was being “true to yourself” or something like that, I was just impressed that a film aimed at kids would take the risk of trying to bring something adult and exotic (and some would say snobby) within their reach. Especially at a time when the food offered to the majority of us is so bland and unhealthy.
As always, Pixar have outdone themselves. I skipped Cars after hearing a few less-than-stellar reviews, but am glad I saw this. The attention to detail is simply stunning, and the food looks real enough that I could almost smell and taste it. Thomas Keller, of Napa destination The French Laundry, was a consultant on the film and it shows. (Maybe The French Laundry could offer Ratatouille Happy Meals. It would be great if they could get the price under $100. Ok, not funny.)
Food blogger Meg Hourihan and her husband Jason Kottke have both posted better reviews than mine, so I’ll stop here. Besides, I’m suddenly a little bit hungry…
P.S. As someone who works in the wine business, it was funny to see the very special 1961 Château Latour at the heart of a key scene.
(9/10)