Ratatouille?
They must be joking.
[CLICKS PEN]
[WHIMPERS]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[THUDDING]
[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]
Mmm.
[GROANS] It cannot be --
Who cooks the ratatouille?
I demand to know!
[GASPS] [GRUNTING]
I can't remember the last time I asked a waiter to give
my compliments to the chef.
And now I find myself in the extraordinary position of
having my waiter be the chef.
Thanks, but I'm just your waiter tonight.
And who do I thank for the meal?
Uh, excuse me a minute?
But--
[ANGRY MUFFLED SHOUTING]
You must be the chef.
If you wish to meet the chef, you
will have to wait until all the other customers have gone.
So be it.
[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]
REMY: At first, Ego thinks it's a joke.
But as Linguine explains, Ego's smile disappears.
He doesn't react beyond asking an occasional question.
And when the story is done, Ego stands,
thanks us for the meal--
Thank you for the meal.
REMY: --and leaves without another word.
The following day, his review appears.
ANTON EGO: In many ways, the work of a critic is easy.
We risk very little, yet enjoy a position
over those who offer up their work and their selves
to our judgment.
We thrive on negative criticism, which
is fun to write and to read.
But the bitter truth we critics must face
is that in the grand scheme of things,
the average piece of junk is probably
more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.
But there are times when a critic truly risks something.
And that is in the discovery and defense of the new.
The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations.
The new needs friends.
Last night, I experienced something
new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source.
To say that both the meal and its maker
have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking
is a gross understatement.
They have rocked me to my core.
In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain
for Chef Gusteau's famous motto "Anyone can cook."
But I realize only now do I truly understand what he meant.
Not everyone can become a great artist.
But a great artist can come from anywhere.
It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those
of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who
is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less
than the finest chef in France.
I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more.