Ratatouille

From start to finish, this film had me. Pixar, more than any other animated film house manage to make movies that have a solid narrative structure and some kind of worthwhile morale for children (and their parents) to consider. I’ll admit to being old-fashioned enough to still consider that an important aspect of children’s entertainment.

Given that we are regularly inundated with stories about obesity (even in children), about diet-related illness and about the dangers of food industrialisation one has to admire the courage of Pixar to make a film about the proper culinary and cultural enjoyment of food that is so boldy didactic and so obviously “European.” In a lot of ways, Ratatouille is a high-brow movie with some serious pretentions. It is also a film that really invites parental involement, reflection and conversation.

Not to say that it lacks entertainment value. In fact, it has some laugh out loud funny bits, some nice slapstic and a good slice of intelligent wit. But it also has a deep point to make, about the enjoyment of food, the dangers of approaching it uncritically, the courage it takes to be a creative success and the power that food has to transcend a momentary experience of pleasure and connect us with our deepest sense of identity and humanity.

This is not a film that will connect as well with pre-schoolers as, say, Finding Nemo or Toy Story. But if you children are school age, starting to be more curious about food and at that “how do things work” stage of curiosity, then Ratatouille is a film that really is worth sharing with them.

[tags] Ratatouille, Pixar [/tags]