Alright, I’m just going to come out and say it because nobody else will. I understand it’s a
movie, but if I was eating at a restaurant and somebody told me a rat cooked my food after
I put it into my mouth I think I would actually be mentally scarred for life. I’m pretty sure that
would be hands down the worst thing to ever happen to me. So how is it that when Pixar makes a movie
on that concept, it turns out to be one of their best, if not their best film? You could sum it up
with, “it gets you hungry” but a movie about food doesn’t guarantee your movie’s going to be good.
We all know that from painful memories, and then I could say, well maybe soundtrack has something to
do with it, which, by the way, has no business being this good. There’s no denying part of it
is the soundtrack, part of it is the nostalgia, part of it is the fact that the food in this movie
looks really, really good. I for one appreciate how much of a risk they took with this story. It’s
an experimental movie, but it’s not experimental for the sake of being experimental like Cars for
example. They wanted the characters themselves to experience what it’s like to be experimental,
what it’s like to take bold risks and defy the odds of what is or isn’t possible.
Alfredo Linguini has the most hilarious name in animation history, so that’s probably why
nobody respects him at the start of the film. He not only gets treated like garbage, but is
literally hired as the garbage boy. It’s no surprise that because of the way society treats
him his confidence in himself is extremely low. Once Remy comes into his life, Alfredo is credited
for a gift that’s not his. He finally feels that sense of validation that he’s been searching for
for so long. After he is revealed to be the son of Gusteau thus the proper owner of his restaurant,
he’s given even more validation and attention. This attention gets to his head when the media
shows up. He takes all the credit for his success. Of course, this pisses Remy off.
I mean, it would piss me off too if I upgraded somebody’s job, made them rich, and helped them
get some lip action and wasn’t given any hint of recognition. Then you get to the scene that helps
you remember why you love this character. He meets back up with Remy in the restaurant to apologize.
You respect characters like this because even after life has been so hard for him, he doesn’t
become a villain, he stays true to his morals, one of them being never stealing food, for example. He
never gives up hope, and is ultimately rewarded for it in the end. It’s a great underdog story.
Gusteau was a famous chef before he passed away due to a broken heart. He’s also Remy’s spirit
guide, basically. He gives Remy valuable advice throughout the film.
In the following scene Remy escapes a life threatening event, falls down a waterfall, yet somehow survives, but with the
terrible realization that he just lost his entire family for a cooking spice. He reacts confused,
scared, wondering about where the hell he is, then is given some advice from his idol.
Remy works his way up the buildings, searches the area for any sense of hope, and discovers he’s
been living in Paris the entire time, right next to Gusteau’s restaurant. It’s a great reminder
that sometimes the dream is right in front of our noses, just begging for us to realize it.
Remy’s dad likes to buy into this idea that rats are who they are, and that’s the way it is.
They’re supposed to despise humanity, steal their food, and stay as far away from them as possible.
Remy is the wokest rat in their clan who sees great potential in ignoring the rules.
Remy has important choices throughout the movie. Here his dad shows him an intimidating representation
of how their kind is treated. Remy has a choice between risking his life for the sake of pursuing
his purpose, and ultimately evolving the way humanity looks at his kind, or to play it safe by
accepting the world for how it is. Just when his dad thinks he’s convinced him of his harsh
reality, Remy takes a stand to say, no, “screw that, I’m going to do something about this.”
Here’s a scene that can be easily overlooked. Remy’s given another choice. Alfredo invites
him to spend the night at his place, and his biological family also invites him to spend
the night at their place. This is near the end of the film after Remy found peace within himself,
and who he is.
This question has been troubling Remy throughout the entire movie. He’s been criticized for walking like a human, reading like a human, cooking like a human,
talking like a human, and here he is finally given a stage to express his truth. The question comes
up, that everyone wants to know... “alright, no more games, are you more human, or are you
a rat?” and he pretty much says without words, “I’m me” and walks his own path. It’s powerful.
Anton Ego is labeled as the secondary antagonist of the movie,
but he’s not really much of a villain. He’s just very picky about his food selection. As a kid you
don’t really think anything much of his backstory, but once you realize his motivation he becomes the
most interesting character. I mean, first off, if I had a job as a food critic, constantly faking
an ungrateful persona in order to remain relevant, I would be miserable and depressed too,
but in this case, Ego’s personality is not fake, it’s genuine, and there’s a reason for that.
Nobody could ever replicate the magic of his mother’s cooking. My theory is she passed away
sometime during his childhood, hence his passive aggressive behavior. Because his heart was broken
as a kid, he spends his life breaking other people’s hearts. He believes nobody can cook,
but why would he believe such an outrageous claim? While the food he critiques may be acceptable
to the average consumer, to him, they’re all missing one secret ingredient. Love. Since the
ratatouille dish is made with love, it reminds Ego of the same type of love his mother had
for him. The easiest way for an artist to impact his or her supporters is to make their art with
love. That’s why certain celebrities inspire us, that’s how certain movies make us cry, that’s how
to win over the heart of someone who normally wouldn’t give you a shot. After Alfredo takes
him on a tour of the rat infested restaurant, he gives a very mysterious, yet profound review.