Ratatouille
“You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul…Anyone can cook, … but only the fearless can be great”.
Absolutely one of Pixar’s best. My favourite, since its release, has always been Soul, but this is probably the closest another Pixar film gets to it. These are probably the only two that I could see being a 4.5 on further rewatches. Just absolutely excellent. (EDIT: I’ve just got to the end and I actually think this is a 4.5. The sequence with Anton Ego at the end just sold me on this being absolutely top tier. I’m going to make an outlandish statement but I think this is THE greatest children’s film of all time. The greatest animated film, it’s definitely up there, but with Miyazaki films involved it’s a very tough debate. But in terms of films that are undoubtedly aimed at children as their main audience, this is the best I have ever watched)
How this film looks at dreams, ambition, and purpose is so interesting. Not only does it convey the message of following your dreams, but it looks more intricately at continuing to have ambition, despite prejudice or doubt in your abilities, from yourself or from others. The concept of having a rat, cooking in a pristine, Michelin star restaurant, embodies the films message of challenging the norms. Have creativity. Don’t be scared to make mistakes in pursuit of new ideas. It could be how greatness is achieved. Then, using the character of Anton Ego, it analyses what REAL passsion is. Anton claims to have ‘passion’ for food but, in his words, “if I don’t love it, I don’t swallow”. Is that real passion for food or is he being closed minded? I’m not sure if it’s just showing different forms of passion, or if there is a further message there, but it’s really interesting. Then finally, it simultaneously explores the themes of love, family heritage, and friendship. Gusteau being Linguini’s father, Linguini’s relationship with Colette, Remy’s relationship with the other rats, or even Anton Ego’s flashback to his mother - it does such a good job of exploring real human relationships. It’s an astounding feat for an animated film I won’t lie.
There is so much more I could say but I think you get the jist of how highly I regard this film. Characters are perfect. Plot is amazing. The themes it explores are absolutely one of a kind. Score is excellent. Has some great comedy mixed in there as well. Animation holds up today. I’m not sure I could ask for anything more. Undoubtedly Pixar’s best in my opinion.
(P.s the two sequences where Remy or Emile tries the cheese and the fruit individually, and then tries them together. The music, the colours, the way Remy talks about it. For some reason those sequences just bleed into my brain. Love them so much. Such nostalgic vibes.)