While I've seen this movie before, I retained very
little about it at the time. Then I listened to a podcast series about Brad
Bird and realized I was doing myself a disservice by not revisiting it. Ratatouille
is an absolutely absurd idea that requires a lot of work to set up. But, the
endgame is worth it. The story is sweet. The relationship between Remy and
Linguini is well-handled. The ending sets this movie apart. The moment when
Anton Ego first tastes the ratatouille and gets transported back to his
childhood is so perfect and understated. And, as someone who writes my thoughts
about movies, I think I'm legally required to mention how Anton Ego is one of
the best depictions of a critic in fiction. Normally, critics are presented as
hateful people with inflated egos. Ego's review of Remy's meal admits the
limitations of criticism and where there is value in it (helping to shed light
on something great and overlooked). I still don't think it's an entirely accurate
take on criticism - personally, I write these as an attempt to process and
understand the work, not to act as an arbiter of taste - but it's as close as
anything I've seen. This is just a great movie.
Verdict: Strongly Recommend
No comments:
Post a Comment