What Do The Critics Say?

"A film as rich as a sauce béarnaise, as refreshing as a raspberry sorbet, and a lot less predictable than the damn food metaphors and adjectives all us critics will churn out to describe it. OK, one more and then I'll be done: it's yummy." David Ansen NEWSWEEK "Ratatouille is a Pixar tour de force." Kit Bowen HOLLYWOOD.COM "Ratatouille is a delightful treat. As the French would say, C'est magnifique." Gary Brown HOUSTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS "Ratatouille manages to simultaneously provide everything we love about Pixar movies while forging a new path." Kevin Carr 7M PICTURES "Ratatouille never overwhelms, even though it's stocked with action, romance, historical content, family drama and serious statements about the creation of art." Peter Hartlaub SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "Ratatouille is just the delicacy the customer ordered -- and one of the best films of the year." Bill Clark FROMTHEBALCONY "Writer and director Brad Bird keeps Ratatouille moving without resorting to the cute animal jokes or pop-culture wisecracking that ruined so many other recent animated films." Michael Booth DENVER POST

"Pixar has packed so much fun and entertainment into their latest that you'll probably want to see it again as soon as it's over." Edward Douglas COMINGSOON "A clever, ingeniously animated film filled with many shining moments." Ken Fox TV GUIDES MOVIE GUIDE "Arguably the finest 'toon in the Pixar canon." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "Brilliant in every conceivable way." David Cornelius EFILMCRITIC "This is an animated movie that's been made for adults, although kids probably will enjoy it, too." Bruce Newman SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS "With Ratatouille, Bird once again delivers not just a great, witty story, but dazzling visuals as well." Steven Rea PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER "Ratatouille is a veritable feast for the eye and the ear. Don’t miss it." Andrew Sarris NEW YORK OBSERVER "An irresistible feast of comedy, imagination, intelligence and heart, Ratatouille will have audiences clamoring for seconds." Kevin Lally FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL

The Inside Story "Ratatouille" is a film that traverses through universal themes: the bonds of friendship and loyalty; the battle against family expectations and finding your own independence in spite of them; and most of all, the importance of being true to who you are, even if you’re not quite what anyone expects. "I think we all have impossible dreams and we do what we can to pursue them," says director Brad Bird, "and Remy’s dream might be the ultimate impossible dream of them all." "The idea of following one’s creative passion against all odds is one that Brad Bird cares deeply about. And it shows because he’s created an amazing film that’s deeply funny in an original way and has a real emotional core to it, which is so important to us. There’s a level of depth, complexity and humor to this film that I don’t think any Pixar film has had before," says Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, two time Academy Award winner John Lasseter. "I was really intrigued by the possibilities of Ratatouille’s premise," says Bird. "The story has such a great and relatable hero, because in order for Remy to do the one thing he loves, he has to go into a world that’s completely hostile to him. He wants to express himself in a way the world doesn’t expect him to, and I think a lot of people know that feeling,” says Bird. “The question is: just how bold and clever can this little guy be in pursuing the thing that matters most to him, and what will he discover along the way? The story is in the tradition of that kind of timeless physical comedy that spans all languages and cultures, but it’s been given a fresh twist." Though rodents have a long and storied history in animation, right down to Mickey Mouse himself, rats are often cast as villains and rarely as screen heroes. But Remy manages to bust through that taboo as he finds wily ways to evade detection inside the kitchen, often by a mere whisker, while whipping up recipes that become rousing successes. His courage comes to the fore as he uses one of his species’ most inspiring and humanlike qualities; a spirited affinity for taking on a perilous world far larger than themselves, in remarkably inventive ways, including pairing up with Linguini to make an invincible team in the kitchen. "When you have a lead character with such big obstacles to overcome, that’s really juicy stuff for animators. There’s so much inherent conflict and drama to grab onto," Bird notes. "I’ve always liked stories that take advantage of how far character animation can go, but this goes to a new extreme." With its fast and furious comic pacing, its madcap antics and its painterly beauty, "Ratatouille" features some of the most sophisticated visuals yet seen in a CG-animated film, once again nudging the technical bar for animated filmmaking skyward. Among the film’s many unique qualities is its locale; an ornately magical imagining of Paris. Then there is the food. Not just any food, but the most delicious, scrumptious, artistically presented gourmet meals imaginable. All of which takes audiences into a realm of sublime visual delights previously unexplored in CG animation, helping to create an utterly authentic world in which audiences might even believe that a rat could be a chef in the kitchen. "These characters are so charming and so emotionally believable that the audience isn’t likely to even realize they are seeing new technology," Lasseter notes. "You’re just too caught up in their story." Producer Brad Lewis believes that Brad Bird was the perfect man to take on this mission. "Brad Bird is as intense and passionate as Remy is in the films. I’ve never seen someone so locked into what’s going to make a story work creatively and emotionally. He’s got these skills of perception where he always hones right in on what’s going to make things a little more natural, or a little more funny or a little more true. And he’s a genius with physical comedy," he said. The cast of "Ratatouille" spans the gamut, from some of the greatest actors in cinema to character-obsessed in-house Pixar staff, which is just the way Brad Bird likes it. "Great voices inspire great animation," he explained, "because it’s those little nuances in the voice that animators can grab ahold of and use physically. Pixar has been very good about casting people who are right for the roles, whether they’re famous or not. So on the one hand, we have some of our talented in-house artists doing voices, and on the other, we have acting legends such as Brian Dennehy, Ian Holm and Peter O’Toole; yet they each bring something really specific and special to their roles. We also were lucky to cast Patton Oswalt, Janeane Garofalo and Brad Garrett, who are all gifted stand-up comedians. I think they give the film a special comic edge. In every case, the voice performers provided the animators with a creative turbo charge." The team considered a wide range of actors for the voide of Remy, but it was only when Brad Bird heard comedian Patton Oswalt doing one of his outrageous routines on the radio that a light went off. "In one of his routines, he was actually talking about food; besides being hilarious, I was really impressed by his passion, exuberance and volatility," Bird recalls. "He has a great voice that sounds like it’s coming from a smaller being, but there’s also a tremendous force of personality. To me, that was Remy; a small guy with very big feelings, who can be passionate one minute and outraged the next, and you believe it all." Oswalt, who was Entertainment Weekly’s 'It Comedian' in 2002, was already a huge fan of Pixar’s movies. Being offered the role of Remy was like a dream come true. "I can't even call it a dream," he said, "because it was so far beyond anything I ever could have conceived of as happening. It was on the crazy list, along with getting the secret powers of Shazam." Remy's dreams would never get a chance to come true if it weren't for Linguini, the lowly garbage boy at Gusteau’s who discovers the rat's talents and finds them changing his own fortunes. "Linguini was really fun to animate because he’s got this great quality of always being kind of wide-eyed and witnessing everything for the very first time," says directing animator David DeVan. Lou Romano, who had served as a production designer on "The Incredibles" and had voiced some smaller roles in earlier productions got the nod for the voice of Linguini. "It was really exciting when I heard that I would be cast," Romano recalls. "To be a great filmmaker, I think you have to already have a real appreciation and understanding of performance." The voice of Remy’s lifelong idol Auguste Gusteau belongs to one of the stars of "Everybody Loves Raymond", popular comedian and 2003 Screen Actors Guild Award winner Brad Garrett. "He has an innate sense of comic timing and that great basso profundo voice that is perfect for Gusteau. It was also tremendous fun to work with him because he’s always got something funny to say," notes Bird. The voice role of Skinner, the dictatorial head chef of Gusteau’s kitchen who is dubious of Linguini’s newfound cooking talent, went to two time BAFTA Film Award winner, Shakespearean tour de force and British star of stage and screen, Sir Ian Holm. I’m really proud to be in a Pixar movie.” Holm notes that it wasn’t an easy gig. "I think it was Tom Hanks who said that doing "Toy Story" was the hardest work he’d even done in his career. I understand that sentiment," Holm said, "and I would go along with that." Golden Globe ® winner Brian Dennehy was cast as the voice of Remy’s father, Django. "Just to be a part of this is a kick because you’re working for the most cutting-edge company and, unquestionably, some of the most creative people in the business. It’s some bunch," is how Dennehy sums it up. "It’s also hard to resist a clever, funny, beautifully written story set in classic Paris." Comedienne Janeane Garofalo voices Collette, one of the cooks struggling to remake Gusteau’s Restaurant. "She’s very French and very elegant in the way she is designed. I thought of her as a kind of flower who hasn’t quite blossomed yet, and you really see her grow in the course of the story." 1963 Golden Laurel and 2004 IFTA Awards winner Peter O’Toole voices the hard to impress restaurant critic Anton Ego. “The proudest casting moment was when Peter O’Toole agreed to voice Ego," says Bird. "I was over the moon. I’m a huge Peter O’Toole fan and I had written every line of Ego hoping against hope that Peter O’Toole would agree to be our guy. His voice is the one I heard in my head as I was writing." Of his animated character O'Toole, and eight time Academy Award nominee notes, "His opinion can and does make or break restaurants. If he says, 'The Yorkshire Pudding was splendid,' you’re in business but if he says, 'The New England Clam Chowder was ghastly,' you’re out! His saving grace is that he loves food. I can always forgive any critic if they are criticizing something they love." Topping off the cast is the so-called 'Pixar good-luck charm', John Ratzenberger. He plays the waiter Mustafa, who he describes as "always in a panic. He’s very smooth with his customers, but once he crosse the threshold of the kitchen, he’s always worried the food isn’t coming fast enough, the soup isn’t hot enough, et cetera." And what about all those rats in the film? Character supervisor Brian Green explained that even though it took some getting used to, they adorned the Pixar ofice with pet rats in cages. "We spent a lot of time at first just observing and getting to know the rats and then incorporating all their behavior into models so that, ultimately, the animators were able to give them such compelling performances," he recalls. "Living with rats, you really get to see all of their little mannerisms. They’re really quite social animals. They’ll play with you and even cuddle on your arm." And if that sounds cute, wait until you've met all the characters in "Ratatouille". Synopsis

Remy dreams of becoming a great chef, despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. Then fate steps in. Swept into a drain during a thunderstorm, Remy finds himself in the city of Paris and eventually beneath a restaurant by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen of one of Paris's most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy who inadvertently discovers Remy’s amazing talents. They strike a deal, ultimately setting into motion a chain of extraordinary events that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down. Until Remy finds himself torn between following his dreams or returning to his former life as a rat. He learns the truth about friendship, family and having to be who he really is, a rat who wants to be a chef.

The Verdict "Is this the best yet from Pixar, so far? You'd better believe it. "Ratatouille" has winner written all over it. The animation is absolutely crisp and the charcters so real, yet it never loses any of the delightful charm we've become used to from other animated films such as "The Incredibles", "Monsters Inc." and "Finding Nemo". The voice cast is excellent featuring standout performances from Peter O'Toole (who is superb with his voicing of the dour food critic Anton Ego) and former "King Of Queens" cast member Patton Oswalt (the perfect pitch for Remy). "Ratatouille" is, without a doubt, a film everyone will enjoy. There's barrel loads of laughs, a touch of romance, a hint of intrigue and some dastardly behind the scenes carry-on. Metaphors such as superb, charming, witty, wild and wonderful delicious, immediately spring to mind when it comes to recommending what is truly another remarkable accomplishment for the team at Pixar. Most highly recommended to all adults and children. Definately a must see movie. 5 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "RATATOUILLE" stars the voices of.......
Patton Oswalt ["Starsky & Hutch", "Blade: Trinity" and TV'S "The King of Queens"]; 2002/3/5 EMMY Award winner Brad Garrett ["Finding Nemo", "Garfield", "Night at the Museum" and TV'S "Everybody Loves Raymond"]; Janeane Garofalo ["Cop Land", "Clay Pigeons", "Stay" and "The Wild"]; Lou Romano ["Boys Night Out", "The Incredibles" and "Cars"]; 2001 Golden Globe & PGA Golden Laurel Award winner Brian Dennehy ["Romeo + Juliet", "The Ultimate Gift" and "Welcome to Paradise"]; Peter Sohn ["The Incredibles"]; 1969 & 1982 BAFTA Film Award winner Sir Ian Holm ["Chariots of Fire", "From Hell", "The Day After Tomorrow", "The Aviator" and "Lord of War"] and 2003 Honorary Academy Award & three time David di Donatello Award winner Peter O'Toole ["Goodbye, Mr Chips", "Murphy's War", "Zulu Dawn", "My Favorite Year" and "Venus"] as Anton Ego.
"RATATOUILLE" was .......
directed by 2005 Academy Award & Two time BAFTA Children's Award winner Brad Bird ["The Iron Giant", "The Incredibles" and "Jack-Jack Attack"]; screenplay by Brad Bird ["The Iron Giant", "The Incredibles" and "Jack-Jack Attack"]; graphic design by Susan Bradley ["The Lion King", "The Jungle Book", "Runaway Bride", "The Motorcycle Diaries", "The Matador" and "An Inconvenient Truth"]; sound design by Randy Thom ["Cast Away", "The Incredibles", "Ice Age 2", "Over The Hedge" and "The Simpsons Movie"]; production design by 1985 EMMY Award & 1988 Academy Award winner Harley Jessup ["Innerspace", "James and the Giant Peach" and "Monsters, Inc"]; edited by Darren Holmes ["Catch The Heat", "The Iron Giant" and "Lilo & Stitch"]; director of photography Robert Anderson ["Ratatouille"] and Sharon Calahan ["A Bug's Life", "Toy Story 2" and "Finding Nemo"]; original music by EMMY Award winner Michael Giacchino ["The Incredibles", "Sky High" and "The Family Stone"]; produced by Brad Lewis ["Broken Arrow" and "Antz"]. Who's Who?

Patton Oswalt Ian Holm Lou Romano Brian Dennehy Peter Sohn Peter O'Toole Brad Garrett Janeane Garofalo Will Arnett Julius Callahan James Remar John Ratzenberger Teddy Newton Tony Fucile Jake Steinfeld Brad Bird

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Remy Skinner Linguini Django Emile Anton Ego Gusteau Colette Horst Lalo/Francois Larousse Mustafa Lawyer (Talon Labarthe) Pompidou/Health Inspector Git (Lab Rat) Ambrister Minion

Run Time 111 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Disney Pixar - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Services - Protected by Australian & International Copyright & Trademark Laws.