Ratatouille

A note: In case you did not see "Ratatouille" as soon as it was released, I just wanted to tell you that you need to check it out right away. Apart from the charming characters and story, I would totally watch this movie for the stupendous visuals alone. The cooking, kitchen and food scenes are beyond fantastic. I can't really review it, because I'm just not objective where this movie is concerned. I'm in love. (And the rats are so fabulously ratty.)

Comments

[Tanna]

Oh dear, see this is when I really long for the grandchildren . . .

[baking soda]

ooooh....that's us...foodbloggers! Now shut up and eat your garbage! Love it! Do you think it's on dvd here? (almost wrote video, yeah I'm old).

[anapestic]

I took the kids to see it this past weekend. On the one hand, I was charmed. On the other hand, the anthropomorphizing of rats troubles me somewhat. One only hopes that we don't end up with a generation of children whose initial reaction to an encounter with a real rat is to ask for culinary advice. Or a generation who leaves food out to feed the rats.

[lindy]

Tanna- There were plenty of unaccompanied adults- don't worry.
Karen-I think the movie is opening in most of Europe in August.
anapestic-I think we're safe- the rats en masse, swarming, were extremely ratty, and, as such, properly disturbing.

[Bendita]

This was a totally fab movie, Remy the rat rules. I did enjoy the whole kitchen/chef setting, and wish I was as talented as Remy inthe kitchen :-)

[holly_44109]

I only got to see the first 15 minutes of it! I took my niece (8) and nephew (5) last Friday but we had to leave the theater because it was "too sad" for them :(

[candy]

i can't wait to see this movie! i don't think my husband is too keen on it tho. perfect excuse for an afternoon for myself :)

[baking soda]

haha, Lindy, you know I rushed out to the library literally seconds after I read your post... To find out that's it's not even in the cinema here. Later I showed the trailer to the kids and husband and they pointed out the date at the end of the trailer...June 29 and asked me what I was thinking... Well, eh clearly not! Will keep an eye out for it.

[Sarah]

I saw Ratatouille a few days ago, and loved it. My husband loved it even more, and told me--in all seriousness--on the way home that he thought he "understood" me more now. So, what do I make of that?

I *loved* the evil reviewer character,Ego, and the flashback scene when he bit into the ratatouille was one of the best things I've seen recently on the big screen. Now, how do we get the recipe for Remy's signature dish? You can find a photo of the ratatouille being made by Thomas Keller (the movie's food muse) here: http://nymag.com/daily/food/2007/07/remys_ratatouille_is_pure_kell.html

[lindy]

Sarah- Here is the recipe as published in the NYTimes. And here is some commentary by the redfox (child of mine.)

[june]

This looks enchanting - shame we have to wait until October to see it.

[Rebecca]

Calvin has been raving about this movie (and he's a film snob in the way that only teenagers can be) and now you! Clearly I'm going to have to see it...

[zp]

Hm. I might have loved Ratatouille if it were silent. Or a musical. The dialog got on my nerves.

As it was, I think, rat for cooking rat, I prefer the short sequence in The Muppets Take Manhattan. And I also recommend the children's book The Great Cheese Conspiracy, if you have not read it . . .

[lindy]

june and rebecca-I've volunteered to see it again with a friend who hasn't seen it. Smitten, I am.
zp- Apparently we have different rat/cook tastes-I am not overfond of the muppet movies ( which I found a bit boring), though I did enjoy the Muppet Show and was a faithful (with infant) early Sesame Street watcher. The Great Cheese Conspiracy I will need to check out.

[zp]

We are lucky to have so many rats-as-chef films to choose from!!

I liked Ratatouille a lot, but I would have fallen in love if it had been a musical, or made more like the Triplets of Belleville, which has a bit of cooking in it, but no rats. I don't think.

Cheese Conspiracy is maybe written for grade school kids, but has nice bw illustrations. The book's cover on Amazon, etc does not have the illustrations I remember, but maybe they are still inside . . .

[lindy]

Triplets of Belleville is so fine, I adore it. But the cooking is of rather a different, albeit wonderful sort. Love those froggies. Not so likely to induce appetite in the movie-goer, though. Those gals would have been more likely to cook some rats, than cook with 'em. I've probably watched that one a dozen times-and always catch something extra. The drawing and music is brilliant.

[lindy]

"are" brillant. Duh.