ratatouille

I can't remember the last time I saw an animated movie in the theater. But there I was--at 10 a.m. this morning in a theater filled with people and their little children--watching the delightful Ratatouille. This is not a kid's movie. The story is probably a bit much for most of them, and its execution through mostly dialog (including Remy's narration) probably leaves them wondering what the hell is going on.* But I loved it! It's clever, it's self-affirming, and it's absolutely beautiful. It looks like Paris and the French-themed music adds to the flair.

I have one major quibble. It's not a fatal flaw, but one that left me scratching my head. Why are two (early, I might add) scenes involving guns in this movie?! In case you didn't realize you were watching an American movie set in Paris, a big ol' shotgun announced that pretty quickly. Seriously, what the hell were they thinking?! Not only is this not very realistic, but my god, do we need to put this stuff in a movie that millions of children are going to watch? Hell, I'm plenty old enough, and I don't want to see that. Trust me, the gun business was not a crucial plot element. Brad Bird, dude, what were you thinking?

The movie left me with a major craving for a baguette and almond croissant (my favorite delights in Paris). Oh, and it made me think of the Trader Joe's ratatouille I haven't had in ages...

Go see it!

* I was surprised by how unproblematic a theater full of children was for me. But the little girl sitting next to me fidgeted like crazy and an hour into the movie told her mother she was bored. She asked at least once for clarification on something that was said quickly. I could see how it would baffle her. But hey, at least they didn't dumb the movie down.