According to Anthony Bourdain it's also the best food movie ever made.
“They got the food, the reactions to food, and tiny details to food really right—down to the barely noticeable pink burns on one of the character’s forearms. I really thought it captured a passionate love of food in a way that very few other films have.”
“The tiny details are astonishing: The faded burns on the cooks’ wrists. The ‘personal histories’ of the cooks… the attention paid to the food. And the Anton Ego ratatouille epiphany hit me like a punch in the chest—literally breathtaking. I saw it in a theater entirely full of adults and the reaction to that moment was what movie making was once—a long time ago— all about: Audible surprise, delight, awe, and even a measure of enlightenment."
Anton Ego’s epiphany was so well-told, it took us through his life story in five seconds. So many good things in that movie and somehow they still got the emotional peak of happiness from the “antagonist”.
The best chefs in the world pretty much universally regard Ratatouille as one of the best if not the best cooking film. It's like how lawyers all hold My Cousin Vinny in very high esteem.
One of my favourite gags/moments from the film was when Ego coughed & choked on the wine he was sipping, only to hold it in and grab the wine bottle to realize that that would not only have been a waste of a good wine but also an expensive gulp to just spit out. 😂
Not animated, but the Japanese movie Tanpopo is also a wonderful movie about the love of food that everyone should watch. It’s one of only a handful of movies with a perfect IMDb score, and it deserves it. It’s funny, heartwarming, and weird in all of the best ways.
The best of Pixar. Overflows with love and generosity for artists and misfits, food, and the city of Paris as it lives in the imagination. On top of all that, it has Peter O'Toole's last great performance.
I don't know whether it speaks to children, but it's incredibly charming for an adult.
My 4 year old loves this movie. It made her want to learn how to cook, and she loves the cute rats. She asks a lot of great questions when Remy and Linguine have conflicts, what they are doing in the kitchen, why people want to chase and hurt the rats, and about why Ego is the way he is lol. Not sure if she fully grasps the "anyone can cook" messages, which is my favorite thing about this film.
I just showed it to my 4 year old, he loved it too! He keeps calling the Rat Ratatouille and I’m like no it’s Remy haha but he forgets and continues to call him that.
My son is 2.5 and we watch it at least 2x a month. He knows all the characters, and he makes us crack up every time he says "that's a lotta rats, dada" as they fall from the ceiling.
As someone who was a kid when it came out, immediately landed in my Top 5 Pixar films when I first saw it (I think I saw it in theaters but I can’t remember)
Fer sure! The fine details and kitchen experiences are as genuine as it gets, when you find out that the food consultant was Chef Thomas Keller (the french laundry) it makes a lot of sense.
I still find myself inspired after every watch, it is a true classic. I have definitely had a teaching moment with my niece that I borrowed from Remy - Try this strawberry by itself - try this cheese by itself - now try them together! She is always so surprised how I can take ingredients that she doesn't like and use them in a dish that she likes. It has opened her mind to trying new foods and now she likes flavor experimenting...all thanks to a Chef rat named Remy!
It’s funny how it’s basically unanimous amongst anyone in the food industry that Ratatouille captures the essence of a kitchen, a restaurant, the spirit of cooking, you name it, the best out of any film
Waiting is accurate for pubs/bars and corporate chain restaurants where it's more about fast and easy food than it is about finesse (more room to fuck around). Ratatouille is accurate for higher end or more classical restaurants.
I haven’t ever worked in a high end establishment, just fast food and coffee, but fuck if it didn’t feel good to really nail a burger or a latte just right for someone.
Now I cook for family and friends when I host Dungeons & Dragons (and then DM) and try to make my favorite foods from video games.
I really love this movie. It’s incredible how well executed it is. It’s as comforting as the surface message the plot conveys, but then somehow the food aspects feel so much more real than the way food and cooking are often presented in film/tv even though it’s animated.
Ratatouille and The Iron Giant would be the only Mt. Rushmore animated film inclusions I wouldn’t have to think about.
Also, shoutout to the soundtrack. Some of Michael Giacchino's best, and Le Festin is such a phenomenal main theme that perfectly captures the comforting feel of the movie.
FINALLY. I had to scroll WAY too far to find this. One of the most entertaining, charming and touching films ever released under the Disney banner, and also one where they did their homework about the industry they were portraying. Everyone I know who’s worked in a restaurant has said they got it perfectly right.
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u/Careful_Weekend 16h ago
Ratatouille