I realised I've not yet talked about Ratatouille...
Bear in mind that nothing in this is fresh, I watched the movie twice the week it opened and that was almost 2 months ago… But I’m listening to the soundtrack, and while I export some VectorWorks, I feel I cannot deny myself the pleasure of writing about it.
Turns out, when I first heard of Ratatouille, I was puzzled. Incredibly puzzled, because my first thoughts were “Why in the world is Brad Bird doing a movie about a rat?... And a rat who cooks, none the less?”
I felt, to be quite honest that they weren’t very compatible, Brad Bird and a rat movie.
If anything, because I felt that the rat movie was a little too innocent, a little too naïve and Brad Bird, was quite the opposite, he is bold and daring and just downright extraordinary.
But I don’t what happened exactly, because the days went on, the trailers kept coming and I started to feel increasingly drawn to the idea of the cooking rat.
And as it turns out, the weekend of its opening, I went and watched it.
Twice.
So,
It’s the most amazing, heartfelt, truthful, honest and emotional Disney summer movie I’ve watched in a long, long time.
It is one beautiful, astonishing reminder of why Disney and Pixar continue to work together even when they fell apart: It’s because Disney has the soul, and Pixar has the talent.
First, it has to be said that the character of Remy is made of awesome. Literally.
I mean, first let’s look at the facts: he’s a rat, and he wants to be a cook! There isn’t much that could make the character more intriguing, that could make him feel more out of place.
And the most amazing thing about Remy… is that he is constructed to be everyone! Remy is everyone who’s ever had a dream, Remy is everyone who ever stood up for the right thing. Remy is everyone who betrayed themselves and did something wrong. Remy is anyone who ever was hurt by his friends, Remy is everyone who’s ever been disappointed. Remy is everybody!
And I think, that is why I feel so drawn to it.
Because is incredibly easy to see your own dreams and hopes and expectations, your own disappointments and difficulties and doubts in Remy’s.
It’s heartbreaking when you think about it!
Remy feels so entirely out of place within himself! And yet… it’s such an optimistic story because he finds it within him to be what he feels in his heart he is meant to be! He finds if within himself to be what he knows he can’t help becoming and what’s more, he fights to be the very best at it.
Remy trusts his instincts and follows his dream.
I don’t know, to be honest, if the movie is meant for everyone - maybe not because my sister didn’t find it as enlightening as I did -. But to me, it very specially talked to me about life as an artist, and how, even when you feel alone, you have to learn that the soul within your dream is the one thing that shall keep you going because at the end of the road, you will realise you are never alone!
It is a beautiful story about struggling against your own limitations to become who you really are. It’s a story about art and life and how, even when it sucks you in, you’ll happily welcome it, because it makes your spirit soar. It’s the story of how art is a Blissful slavery of mind, body and soul”
And within that notion, the people around Remy represent everything else we have in life before we get there where we’re meant to go.
I wasn’t going to mention everyone… but it turns out that every character has a special vibe that is extraordinarily drawing.
Emille, oh dear! He is fantastic! He is so emotional, so confused, so entirely out of place all the time; but he loves Remy and he makes an effort to understand. He is the clueless family who may not get you but will still fight alongside you because they can see what it makes for you!
And Linguini... oh dear, he’s fantastic! He’s so flawed, so confused. And is such a delight to see him struggle against everything he knows he’s clueless about, because finally, he represents the insecurities we all have at some point. But he tries his best to keep going and that is the one thing about him, that you can’t help but like the guy! And in itself, he is the people who struggle endlessly until they realise that it’s not themselves they have to turn to, but the artist. Love him.
Gusteau was another wonder. He is the inspiration, and the master. He is that one thing that pushes you further and further when you feel you’re stuck. Is the inspiration that never leaves you… Is the artistic conscience in all of us. He’s the Jimmy Cricket character for the artist. In a really odd shaped way too… but in such a real state… because he’s not exactly always pushing Remy to do what’s right, he’s always pushing Remy to do what he feels he has to do. He’s always telling Remy to trust himself, because he knows; he’s always the only one who knows!
I absolutely adored Colette!
Colette is that one character who fights too hard to get to where she is; who’s had a bumpy road to overcome her flaws and who has to keep going harder everyday because she knows that, undeniably, unbearably, art is a competition and she has to keep up. And she doubts Remy, because in her position anyone would! But the fact that she realises in one swift, timeless moment, that indeed… anyone can cook!… It’s positively one of the best moments in the movie.
I think I really get Remy’s dad. He’s that parent who doesn’t want to see his kid go through hell all the time to get a few moments of heaven now and then. He’s the parent who wants to keep his kid away from the pain and the sorrow of being an artist and who tries, so hard to make him see that the grass is no more greener on the other side. But eventually, it comes around to it… To the fact that in one moment, Remy says ”They can’t do it without me, because I am the chef!”! And that when it comes to it… his father turns around and the kid has not only made his mind, but he’s made him proud beyond belief.
Very, very beautiful.
I have to say, that Ego owned my heart!
To realise, that you have been wrong; that your heart can take a turn and that you never know, literally you never know, what your heart truly needs to be filled. To realise that you never know who or what is going to move you and that the infinite surprise in it is the one thing that makes art wonderful! That it is that discovering, that makes everything worth it…
To have him realise that it’s not that everyone can cook, but it is that anyone can cook! Anyone who has a soul can cook… that the one thing you need to touch other people’s heart with your own is a will… And that talent is what comes with it, because the real talent is not owned by everyone… But it is inside anyone who is willing to take it as the gift it is.
I am seriously in love with all of them…
And now, I’ll move on to other things worth mentioning;
-Production Design: Absolutely fantastic! Amazing beyond words! The work in Paris is extraordinary; the city looks like a beautiful memory of a wonderful dream. It looks like it literally leaped out of a fairy tale and became the real Paris. It is real and yet so dreamy! It is real and yet it seems almost like the whole movie happens inside a snowball because …
-Animation: Is amazing! It’s really extraordinary what they do these days… Mostly, because the movie is not supposed to look real because it isn’t real! It’s a metaphor… and in itself, the animation is a metaphor too! And it’s astonishing! Really astonishing… the colouring, and the volumes… the shapes and the lighting is amazing!
The shades, the tones… the characterization… It’s all absolutely perfect!
I’ll say it again; it’s not meant, in any way, to look real… it’s also supposed to have a hint of abstraction to it and a pinch of spice and sweetness to it. It’s the perfect graphic metaphor. It’s amazing that at Pixar they’ve managed to overcome the struggle they had at the beginning to make everything perfectly real. Sometimes, it’s not supposed to look real and that is the heart of it.
And finally, I must say… oh dear!
Michael Giacchino outdid himself far more than anyone else in that film did!
You might not remember Michael’s name just like that, but let me remind you that he is the one who composes music for JJ Abram’s shows (aka Alias and Lost). He is also the one behind The Incredibles with an Academy Award nomination to it.
Now me, I’m a soundtrack junkie.
Therefore, when watching the movie, I pay attention to the music beyond it being the “hidden character” of the film.
And oh my dearest! Michael Giacchino outdid himself in ways that I cannot even begin to describe! He went beyond everything else he’s ever done. He went beyond the expected and pushed himself into another level entirely.
Ratatouille isn’t the typical Michael Giacchino film, but he took it as a challenge and came out with one of the most heartfelt, soulful soundtracks that I own!
He took his music into a completely different level and he did it wonderfully! He was able to bring perfect emotion, perfect dynamism, absolutely flawless layers of musical compositions, one after the other. Several musical pieces are so not his usual style… “Wall Rat” is simply remarkable, completely new for him, but amazingly achieved. The layers in the composition stand out in a way that is just indescribable.
“Souped Up” is one startling little piece that is so completely out of the ordinary Giacchino music… oh, really no words!
“Remy Drives a Linguini” is one amazing little thing! Seriously brings out all the usual Giacchino spice but with a hint of fresh Parisian beauty to it.
“The Paper Chase” is one of the classic Giacchino sounds I love… it is so fantastically placed in the film, and its tension is just perfect… with the ever present hint of Parisian freshness in it. Loved it.
“Dinner Rush” has a hint of a classical Disney sound in it, and it’s such a delight to listen to it - even more in the soundtrack without the images - because it really reminds you of the classical Disney sound.
“Anyone Can Cook” goes beyond words. It’s the one that astonished me the most while watching the film. Because if there’s one thing in Michael Giacchino’s work before Ratatouille is that is aggressive, bold, and daring... it’s never subtly Parisian like this movie.
But this is perfectly emotional, beautifully French, and yet delightfully him!
The main theme goes without words… there are literally no words. Absolutely perfect! Perfect, amazing… extraordinary in ways that music cannot be described with words whoever the author.
I also must say that I’ve no idea where “Le Festin” came from, and I’ve not had the time to look it up… but it’s one amazing musical treasure to have acquired, I must say.
In other words… I must say… Best movie of the summer. Period.
I loved OotP, it was made of awesome, Pirates was entertaining, Ocean’s is ok, the Simpsons feel like blah after all the advertising and I still have to watch Bourne but… Ratatouille was the best surprise of the summer, and the most delightful to watch and cry to.
Turns out, when I first heard of Ratatouille, I was puzzled. Incredibly puzzled, because my first thoughts were “Why in the world is Brad Bird doing a movie about a rat?... And a rat who cooks, none the less?”
I felt, to be quite honest that they weren’t very compatible, Brad Bird and a rat movie.
If anything, because I felt that the rat movie was a little too innocent, a little too naïve and Brad Bird, was quite the opposite, he is bold and daring and just downright extraordinary.
But I don’t what happened exactly, because the days went on, the trailers kept coming and I started to feel increasingly drawn to the idea of the cooking rat.
And as it turns out, the weekend of its opening, I went and watched it.
Twice.
So,
It’s the most amazing, heartfelt, truthful, honest and emotional Disney summer movie I’ve watched in a long, long time.
It is one beautiful, astonishing reminder of why Disney and Pixar continue to work together even when they fell apart: It’s because Disney has the soul, and Pixar has the talent.
First, it has to be said that the character of Remy is made of awesome. Literally.
I mean, first let’s look at the facts: he’s a rat, and he wants to be a cook! There isn’t much that could make the character more intriguing, that could make him feel more out of place.
And the most amazing thing about Remy… is that he is constructed to be everyone! Remy is everyone who’s ever had a dream, Remy is everyone who ever stood up for the right thing. Remy is everyone who betrayed themselves and did something wrong. Remy is anyone who ever was hurt by his friends, Remy is everyone who’s ever been disappointed. Remy is everybody!
And I think, that is why I feel so drawn to it.
Because is incredibly easy to see your own dreams and hopes and expectations, your own disappointments and difficulties and doubts in Remy’s.
It’s heartbreaking when you think about it!
Remy feels so entirely out of place within himself! And yet… it’s such an optimistic story because he finds it within him to be what he feels in his heart he is meant to be! He finds if within himself to be what he knows he can’t help becoming and what’s more, he fights to be the very best at it.
Remy trusts his instincts and follows his dream.
I don’t know, to be honest, if the movie is meant for everyone - maybe not because my sister didn’t find it as enlightening as I did -. But to me, it very specially talked to me about life as an artist, and how, even when you feel alone, you have to learn that the soul within your dream is the one thing that shall keep you going because at the end of the road, you will realise you are never alone!
It is a beautiful story about struggling against your own limitations to become who you really are. It’s a story about art and life and how, even when it sucks you in, you’ll happily welcome it, because it makes your spirit soar. It’s the story of how art is a Blissful slavery of mind, body and soul”
And within that notion, the people around Remy represent everything else we have in life before we get there where we’re meant to go.
I wasn’t going to mention everyone… but it turns out that every character has a special vibe that is extraordinarily drawing.
Emille, oh dear! He is fantastic! He is so emotional, so confused, so entirely out of place all the time; but he loves Remy and he makes an effort to understand. He is the clueless family who may not get you but will still fight alongside you because they can see what it makes for you!
And Linguini... oh dear, he’s fantastic! He’s so flawed, so confused. And is such a delight to see him struggle against everything he knows he’s clueless about, because finally, he represents the insecurities we all have at some point. But he tries his best to keep going and that is the one thing about him, that you can’t help but like the guy! And in itself, he is the people who struggle endlessly until they realise that it’s not themselves they have to turn to, but the artist. Love him.
Gusteau was another wonder. He is the inspiration, and the master. He is that one thing that pushes you further and further when you feel you’re stuck. Is the inspiration that never leaves you… Is the artistic conscience in all of us. He’s the Jimmy Cricket character for the artist. In a really odd shaped way too… but in such a real state… because he’s not exactly always pushing Remy to do what’s right, he’s always pushing Remy to do what he feels he has to do. He’s always telling Remy to trust himself, because he knows; he’s always the only one who knows!
I absolutely adored Colette!
Colette is that one character who fights too hard to get to where she is; who’s had a bumpy road to overcome her flaws and who has to keep going harder everyday because she knows that, undeniably, unbearably, art is a competition and she has to keep up. And she doubts Remy, because in her position anyone would! But the fact that she realises in one swift, timeless moment, that indeed… anyone can cook!… It’s positively one of the best moments in the movie.
I think I really get Remy’s dad. He’s that parent who doesn’t want to see his kid go through hell all the time to get a few moments of heaven now and then. He’s the parent who wants to keep his kid away from the pain and the sorrow of being an artist and who tries, so hard to make him see that the grass is no more greener on the other side. But eventually, it comes around to it… To the fact that in one moment, Remy says ”They can’t do it without me, because I am the chef!”! And that when it comes to it… his father turns around and the kid has not only made his mind, but he’s made him proud beyond belief.
Very, very beautiful.
I have to say, that Ego owned my heart!
To realise, that you have been wrong; that your heart can take a turn and that you never know, literally you never know, what your heart truly needs to be filled. To realise that you never know who or what is going to move you and that the infinite surprise in it is the one thing that makes art wonderful! That it is that discovering, that makes everything worth it…
To have him realise that it’s not that everyone can cook, but it is that anyone can cook! Anyone who has a soul can cook… that the one thing you need to touch other people’s heart with your own is a will… And that talent is what comes with it, because the real talent is not owned by everyone… But it is inside anyone who is willing to take it as the gift it is.
I am seriously in love with all of them…
And now, I’ll move on to other things worth mentioning;
-Production Design: Absolutely fantastic! Amazing beyond words! The work in Paris is extraordinary; the city looks like a beautiful memory of a wonderful dream. It looks like it literally leaped out of a fairy tale and became the real Paris. It is real and yet so dreamy! It is real and yet it seems almost like the whole movie happens inside a snowball because …
-Animation: Is amazing! It’s really extraordinary what they do these days… Mostly, because the movie is not supposed to look real because it isn’t real! It’s a metaphor… and in itself, the animation is a metaphor too! And it’s astonishing! Really astonishing… the colouring, and the volumes… the shapes and the lighting is amazing!
The shades, the tones… the characterization… It’s all absolutely perfect!
I’ll say it again; it’s not meant, in any way, to look real… it’s also supposed to have a hint of abstraction to it and a pinch of spice and sweetness to it. It’s the perfect graphic metaphor. It’s amazing that at Pixar they’ve managed to overcome the struggle they had at the beginning to make everything perfectly real. Sometimes, it’s not supposed to look real and that is the heart of it.
And finally, I must say… oh dear!
Michael Giacchino outdid himself far more than anyone else in that film did!
You might not remember Michael’s name just like that, but let me remind you that he is the one who composes music for JJ Abram’s shows (aka Alias and Lost). He is also the one behind The Incredibles with an Academy Award nomination to it.
Now me, I’m a soundtrack junkie.
Therefore, when watching the movie, I pay attention to the music beyond it being the “hidden character” of the film.
And oh my dearest! Michael Giacchino outdid himself in ways that I cannot even begin to describe! He went beyond everything else he’s ever done. He went beyond the expected and pushed himself into another level entirely.
Ratatouille isn’t the typical Michael Giacchino film, but he took it as a challenge and came out with one of the most heartfelt, soulful soundtracks that I own!
He took his music into a completely different level and he did it wonderfully! He was able to bring perfect emotion, perfect dynamism, absolutely flawless layers of musical compositions, one after the other. Several musical pieces are so not his usual style… “Wall Rat” is simply remarkable, completely new for him, but amazingly achieved. The layers in the composition stand out in a way that is just indescribable.
“Souped Up” is one startling little piece that is so completely out of the ordinary Giacchino music… oh, really no words!
“Remy Drives a Linguini” is one amazing little thing! Seriously brings out all the usual Giacchino spice but with a hint of fresh Parisian beauty to it.
“The Paper Chase” is one of the classic Giacchino sounds I love… it is so fantastically placed in the film, and its tension is just perfect… with the ever present hint of Parisian freshness in it. Loved it.
“Dinner Rush” has a hint of a classical Disney sound in it, and it’s such a delight to listen to it - even more in the soundtrack without the images - because it really reminds you of the classical Disney sound.
“Anyone Can Cook” goes beyond words. It’s the one that astonished me the most while watching the film. Because if there’s one thing in Michael Giacchino’s work before Ratatouille is that is aggressive, bold, and daring... it’s never subtly Parisian like this movie.
But this is perfectly emotional, beautifully French, and yet delightfully him!
The main theme goes without words… there are literally no words. Absolutely perfect! Perfect, amazing… extraordinary in ways that music cannot be described with words whoever the author.
I also must say that I’ve no idea where “Le Festin” came from, and I’ve not had the time to look it up… but it’s one amazing musical treasure to have acquired, I must say.
In other words… I must say… Best movie of the summer. Period.
I loved OotP, it was made of awesome, Pirates was entertaining, Ocean’s is ok, the Simpsons feel like blah after all the advertising and I still have to watch Bourne but… Ratatouille was the best surprise of the summer, and the most delightful to watch and cry to.