movie: Ratatouille
Pixar couldn’t have put out a better movie at a better time. It’s a seriously fun and sweet movie about a foodie rat who dreams of being a master chef in Paris. I didn’t think it could be done, but they found a way to make me even more in love with Paris, its wines, its cheeses, its food, by using a main character that gushes about it all in such an inspiring way.
But setting aside my personal interest in the subject matter, the movie is seriously fantastic. The animation is ridiculous. Every time Pixar comes out with a new movie, you just can’t help but think that it is the closest computer animation has ever looked to reality, that it just can’t get any better than that. The next thing you know they blow your mind all over again. From the slight scratches on the copper pots to the semi-translucent shine on the red onions to the reflective waters of the Seine, the textures of the inanimate objects are dreamily real. They are so detailed and true to life while still giving off a sense of beauty in their simplicity… it’s just an onion after all. The best animation comes from the main character, whose fur and whiskers are so tactile on screen that I can feel what a Remy toy would be like in my hands.
And with all good Pixar films, the story is cute, funny, and tear-inducing at all the right moments.
What I didn’t expect was such an inspired look into why a little rat could fall so in love with the art of cooking. They illustrate so well the idea of enjoying the subtleties of flavor profiles and the magic that occurs when you combine them into a dish. It’s a symphony, flavors complimenting each other in new and exciting ways. It reminds me of all the reasons I love wine and I love pairing it with food, at least “in theory”. For unlike Remy, I don’t think I am or ever can be a “supertaster“. And for that reason, I found myself with a bittersweet love for the main character, for ultimately, I am jealous.
But I am not alone. Not everyone in the world can be a supertaster (I’m pretty sure I’d fail the orange ice cream test, unless I knew the three flavors I was picking from). And when I sit down every night and try and search for the elusive flavors in a wine, it’s like trying to remember a dream after you have awakened… the feeling slowly slips away the more and more I concentrate and try to describe it. In the end, do I really need to know that what I was tasting was boysenberry with a hint of cocoa and cedar to enjoy a delicious wine? Probably not, but I’m certainly envious of the people that can.
technorati tags: Supertaster, Ratatouille
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Just wanted to say that I wholeheartedly agree that Ratatouille is a fantastic film on all levels. I was skeptical going in, but came out of the theater feeling like I had just seen one of the best animated films of all time. Pixar has indeed done it again.
Comment by Tom — July 25, 2007 @ 3:22 pm