Camden New Journal - Movies: Ratatouille

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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 11 October 2007

Remy the rat: star of the most delightful ‘film of the seasoning’

Time to move over Mickey! There’s a new rat in town

RATATOUILLE - Directed by Brad Bird
Certificate U

WE all know what ratatouille is, don’t we? “A vegetable stew made from tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and aubergines”, according to my trusty cookery book.
Not any more. As from now it will be remembered as the most delightful animated film of the seasoning – er, season – which in years to come will surely come to be regarded as a
classic.
Personally I am always surprised when rodents make it into the ratings – witness Mickey Mouse and Roland Rat. In real life, don’t they make people squeal and jump on the nearest table?
But now we have Remy the rat (voice: Patton Oswalt) wiggling his little pink nose and whiskers to become part of posterity, and an absolute dead cert as a kids’ favourite.
He’s a cheery little chap, and he lives under Gusteau’s, a famous Paris restaurant now fallen on hard times.
Remy has a taste for fine food. While his scraggy brother Emile tucks into garbage for a snack, Remy is a master of the culinary arts.
He befriends a bumbling young assistant chef named Linguini, falling foul of his scheming boss Mr Skinner, who is exploiting the great name of Gusteau for his own nefarious purposes.
The unlikely pair team up to bring Gusteau’s back to its former glory, despite doubts from acerbic food critic Anton Ego (resonantly voiced by Peter O’Toole) whose reviews knocked it off its five-star perch.
The animation is superb, the slapstick innovative and uproarious. The food looks so good, it made my taste buds quiver – I kid you not.
Take your place at the table for a brilliant feast of fun and frivolity.

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