Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Remy is a Foodie (Rat from Ratatouille)

Ratatouille Movie Review

We just finished watching the new Disney animated movie "Ratatouille", and I very much enjoyed the film. The main character is a rat named Remy, who just happens to be an incredible Foodie that pursues his dream (of becoming a great chef) — a dream inspired by the book of a late, great French chef who published a book entitled "Everyone can cook" (how appropriate). Surmounting a few obstacles along the way, Remy eventually realizes his dream when his passion for gourmet food is put to use in a fine Paris restaurant, creating marvels that only a truly gifted chef could do.

Inspiration and Passion to Create Fine Foods

Although Remy is not necessarily creating gluten-free foods, his passion for fine food is certainly an inspiration to anyone that longs for foods that are gourmet and a cut above the mundane. As various ingredients are being combined, Remy's keen and discerning nose helps to combine just the right ingredients to fulfill his quest for food perfection. Remy knows that in order to eat the best foods, you have to start with great ingredients, and be creative and practice combining flavors while baking for yourself. This certainly hit home with me, as with very little exception, I much prefer home-baked gluten-free creations to any commercial counterparts — the reason being, we have final say in the taste and texture of each dish we make.

In addition to a nice tale of adventure and achieving success in the kitchen, "Ratatouille" is also visually stunning and entertaining. I think Ratatouille is perhaps the best animated film I have seen to date, and I was just amazed by how incredibly realistic computer animation has become over the years — and what better plot to showcase such a feast for the senses than a show revolving around great food!

The only thing better would have been coordinated scents to accompany the baking scenes, but then again... when certain rats are eating garbage early in the movie...

6 comments:

Ripley Guy said...

Tell me why their was a brief scene in the movie, Ratatouille, where a woman is holding a gun, shoots at a man, misses, and then they embrace! What on earth did this have to do with the mive, and why show this to young children!!!!!! Am I the only one disturbed by this scene?

Mike Eberhart said...

Willow -- I'm with you on this comment, and agree that scene (albeit a very brief one - perhaps 2-3 seconds) added no value at all, and was certainly something best left on the cutting-room floor. But, overall, I definitely enjoyed the feature on many levels and wouldn't let those few frames prevent me from recommending it. Thanks for the input, and for visiting my blog.

Jean Layton-GF Dr. Mom said...

Hi Mike,
My family went to see this movie yesterday. We all loved it! Even the twins thought that Remy really had all the fun.
I think it inspired them, they decided to make dinner tonight. A very fancy salad was created along with a lovely cream soda float.
Yes, I thought the scene you mentioned was a weird inclusion for a kids movie. Makes you wonder about the Hollywood hot shots who approve the story boards.

Mike Eberhart said...

Jean,
Glad the movie inspired your children to do some cooking. Perhaps it'll help create a whole new generation of foodies - you never know.

GFCF Mommy said...

I agree with everything you said. I thought this was one of Pixar's greatest. This movie also kind of marked a few milestones for my family. My 5 yo son actually asked to go see it! He has autism and is the reason my whole family is gluten-free. To me, the fact that he wanted to go to a movie about food (he likes to cook) was heartwarming. Even more heartwarming, it was the first movie he was able to sit through and enjoy, as in the past his heightened sensitivity to sound prevented this.

So, Remy is my hero, in more ways than one!

Just discovered your site, BTW. It's great!

Mike Eberhart said...

gfcf mommy,
Glad you found my blog and like it! Sorry about the delay responding - I was out on vacation. Stay tuned for more blogs. M