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 - ANIMATION AT THE LEVEL OF A WORK OF ARTPossibly the 2007 film that is closest to perfection is Pixar's "Ratatouille", an animated comedy that seems to focus on the story of a rat named Remy who has a sense of smell and a great talent for the culinary arts, and who becomes a secret chef at a French restaurant, managing to be a hit to the gourmets who don't know their chef is a rodent. But something magical happens about half way through: The focus switches more to the story of the scullery kitchen lad and his fellow kitchen superiors (including the dominating Colette, voiced by Janeane Garofalo) and we realize that the human animal was really the film's main subject all along. Its visual look is like great French paintings and its animation state-of-the-art, thanks to directors Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava, all set off by a wonderful music score that breathes life, love and Paris in every bar. Amazingly, the film's poetic setting contrasting the Parisian slums (the world of the rats) with the high-class restaurant for connoisseurs reminds one of the best of Ernst Lubitsch (like the romantic setting of the garbage scow in his 1932 "Trouble in Paradise"), but it is Lubitsch as if some Preston Sturges slapstick had wandered into it. This is a marvelous, life-affirming masterpiece, and one of the two films of 2007 that uses food to express a deep and profound love of life. Rating:  - RatatouilleThis is a cute DVD, but I wouldn't recommend it for children under 5 years old due to some of it content. Rating: - RATATOUILLEHI DEF DIGEST.COM STATES ALL . I'M A VIDEO HD GRADING PICKER .. HIGH DEF STAR RATINGS (FOR NOW) REMAIN MORE IMPORTANT THAN CONTENT . Rating: - Even In The Dirtiest Of SpeciesIt's kind of hard to describe why I loved this movie; I shouldn't be surprised at all to find that I appreciated a Pixar or Brad Bird movie so much, but considering that it stars one of the more disgusting and vile creatures on the planet, I was surprised at just how enjoyable and touching the movie is. What's impressive is that considering it's basically about a rat romping around a French gourmet restaurant's kitchen, it in no way skips acknowledging that rats are scavengers on humanity but in some way it makes that a plus for the movie (it doesn't hurt that the head of the rat colony has the voice of authority in Brian Dennehy). How the hell Pixar manages to make a rat appealing is beyond me, but they do it here (and Patton Oswalt's voice performance certainly helps as well). Definitely worth watching, especially for a subplot involving a top food critic that actually brought a tear to my eye in it's moment of truth. Rating: - "Anyone can cook!""Ratatouille" is a delicious musical treat for the whole family to enjoy. From Disney, the company famous for its mouse,comes a loveable rat Remy who wants to cook up a feast. It's an inspiring fairy tale about family, love, and the power of faith. From Michael Giacchino's bistro-worthy soundtrack to the tasty intrigues of the story, "Ratatouille" is a cinematic meal. In "Ratatouille",Remy the rat (expertly voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt) befriends the garbage boy Linguini. As in Cyrano de Bergerac, Linguini gets the credit for Remy's amazing meals. Linguini might also be the love child of Gousteau,the chef who inspires Remy in visions. Linguini himself is smitten with the no-nonsense chef Colette (a bittersweet Jeanne Garofalo) The devious Skinner (former Bilbo Ian Holm) plans to turn Gousteau's magical recipes into instant frozen meals (like "Tooth Pickin' Chicken" and "Haggis Wraps") There's also a health inspector who bears an uncanny resemblance to Walt Disney himself. Finally,the evil cadaverous critic Anton Ego (voiced by the equally cadaverous Peter O'Toole) comes to Gousteau's with a bone to pick. "Ratatouille" is a delicious mix of comedy,in-jokes,and visual wonders. It's an ode to the joys of cooking and the beauty of Paris,the City of Light. It has a moral without being ponderously moralistic. As Anton Ego learns his lesson from a delicious plate of ratatouille,so does this movie please the palate. Bon appetit!
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