It is, I will say this, without seeing the fall lineup or Labor Day surprises, the most well written film of the year. That said, this animation is for adults, not children.
The poignant quest for lost dreams, a beautiful turnaround by a bitter critic (we all know that person, lingering deep inside, judging everything we do), and a stumbling garbage boy who just wants to run the place, are content geared entirely for adults.
Children don’t need to lament the loss of their dreams. They haven’t had that chance yet. That’s why, when sitting in the theater with a 6 and 9-year-old who were digging in popcorn barrels and slurping on Pepsis, did I realize, it was me who wanted to be inspired by the little rat that could, not them.
They were, well… a little bored. At least until the maniacal chase at the end, where pots and pans and beautiful set pieces of rats overtaking a kitchen went into full play. This was no Shrek with fart jokes and dim-witted humor, but a melancholy tale that everyman, and woman, who wants to succeed but feels the trappings of fear of failure, needs to see.
Ratatouille is like Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Amelie,” in animation. You’ll leave feeling heart-struck, wanting to make all the goodness in your life a reality, but remember, when you’re sitting in the theater with restless kids, keep them in their seats, mostly, so you can see the end.
1 comments:
I loved Ratatouille. I knew I would from the poster of Remy and the carrot.
I look forward to reading more of your reviews of the stories in current films. And yes, I'm happy that someone agrees with me that Knocked Up was flat. It's a head scratcher how that got raves. Not a bad film. Just sort of... okay with good laughs.
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