Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a story of rat who wants to do what "anbody can do": cook.

Pixar is definitely "a leader" in producing digital animation. Though the medium is for children, its message could be so profound as its interpretation would be left to adults, film study critics, and those who know the film language.

Simply put, no one could ever imagine a rat washing his hands to cook. No matter how he washes his hands, he would still be in fact "a rat". His very nature would make this film totally "unrealistic."

But the film wants to deliver something much more than rats cooking. France, a country known for its exquisite recipes, would be the backdrop symbolic of the Western, "cultured" countries on one hand and the budding, potential cultures of all other countries other than the "First world". More concretely, this film produced in the United States which is increasingly becoming a melting pot of diverse cultures has to confront itself with the inevitable reality of "multi-culturalism".

"Ratatouille" is a statement hard to digest. Even the writers seem to experience great difficulty in resolving the age-old issue confronting the United States: discrimination. But let the audience decide on what road to take after watching the film, on what attitudes they should have as regards respecting other cultures, and how cultures can enrich each other. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5