A feast for the eyes & mind......

Rating: 9/10 (16 October 2008)

Brad Bird proves with the charming effort, that he is one of the best directors currently working in the field of animation and Pixar once again shows why they are the "leaders of the pack".....
"Ratatouille" tells the tale of a young rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) who longs to be more than what he is. Inspired by the great chef August Gusteau (Brad Garrett), Remy discovers his passion for food and cooking. In quick succession a series of events sees him separated from his family and all alone in the great city of Paris.
Remy finds himself drawn to the restaurant of his idol Gusteau who has since passed away (in fact Gusteau stays on in the film as a "spirital guide" for Remy). In the process, another tale begins to emerge as a young man called Linguini (Lou Romano) also finds himself at Gusteau's seeking a job and in turn, the two end up being tied to each other's fates.
This movie successfully infuses a delightful blend of physical comedy and savvy wit humour. Combined with great animation, a lovely score from Michael Giacchino and great voice over work from Janeane Garofalo as the feisty young female chef Colette, Ian Holm as the devilish villain of the piece, Chef Skinner and Peter O'Toole (who was a master stroke of casting!) as the king of all critics Anton Ego.
Brad Bird is able to provide this animated feature with a level of depth and intelligence which adult audiences can appreciate and enjoy. "Ratatouille" proves that animated films can move beyond the cute and cuddly realm for which many find themselves stuck in. Granted, children can enjoy this movie and this is certainly plenty of moments for them to soak up, but what impressed me most about this film was the fact that it had layers of thought behind it which appealed to my sensibility.
Highly recommended..... :)