This is the latest release from the Pixar computer animation studio which has been responsible for some classic family films of recent years, including Toy Story, and The Incredibles.
The story centres around an unlikely hero – a French rat called Remy who through reading an old book by a famous chef called Gousteau has developed a wildly imaginative flair for French cooking. When his rat colony is discovered in the roof of an old house outside Paris, Remy is separated from his family and washed down a sewer into the depths of Paris. When he emerges he finds Gousteau’s restaurant. Following Gousteau’s death it is now in decline (it now only has 3 stars compared to 5 in its heyday) and in the control of an obnoxious little chef who plans to exploit Gousteau’s name by developing a fast food business.
Remy cannot resist the smells of the kitchen, and looks on as a hapless young man, called Linguine starts work as a washer. Within minutes, Linguine has spoilt the soup, but Remy transforms it into something rather special through the judicious addition of a few herbs and spices. One of the customers that night happens to be a restaurant critic who tries the soup and writes rave reviews about the cooking. Having saved the restaurant, Remy is caught in the kitchen the same night and Linguine is tasked with killing him. But instead, Linguine discovers that Remy’s secret ability to cook and together they hatch a plan. Remy will hide under Linguine’s hat and by pulling on various strands of his hair can tell him how to cook.
The scenes showing how Linguine starts to cook in the restaurant, guided by his furry friend are hilarious. The story builds to a multi-threaded climax involving the conflict of interests for Remy when his family find him, how Linguine has to admit to the woman he loves who the real master chef is, and most poignantly of all, how the most infamous food critic in France – the tall, hawk-like, and condescending Anton Ego (wonderfully portrayed by Peter O’Toole) will respond to the cooking.
The plot line may not sound like a Hollywood blockbuster and it isn’t. This is an entrancing film from start to finish. The animators spent months observing the kitchen in a top French restaurant in Paris, and the cooking scenes re painstakingly authentic. But more than this – every scene somehow conveys a “lived in”, magical Paris that invites you to go back and see for yourself. The way in which the rats move is minutely observed, down to their rapid breathing. The film is by turns exciting (when Remy is chased through the kitchen it’s filmed in such a way that you really sense what it would be like for a small animal to be hunted by humans), funny, and moving – stirring a variety of emotions (loneliness, despair, and elation to name but three).
Without giving too much away, the scene where Anton Ego finally gets to taste Remy’s cooking is unexpectedly very poignant. The characterisation is thoroughly engaging and believable and the storyline is never subservient to the special effects. Ultimately, the story is about courage and persistence in the face of overwhelming obstacles and is uplifting without being too sentimental.
In short, this is a feast of a film – and one that families of any age can watch and enjoy.
Geoff Butts