So last weekend, Akemi and I saw "Ratatouille", Pixar's latest masterpiece (written/directed by Brad Bird) which is a story about a rat with aspirations to become a chef. He accidentally gets separated from his family, ends up in a once-five star restaurant in Paris, befriends a bumbling human, and saves the day by returning the restaurant to its previous grandeur. I won't go into all the details of the story, but this release, for me, rates up there with "The Incredibles", my favorite of all the Pixar movies. It has an absolute original story, likeable characters, genuine humor, and the CGI is flawless. It really is amazing how the visual effects just get better and better with every movie. They have completely mastered the recreation of different surfaces, like metal, concrete, wood, hair, etc, and the way light reflects from them. As you watch this movie, pay attention to the brass and steel surfaces in the kitchen (you can actually make out minor scratches that you would see in real life from normal wear and tear!), the rain splashing on the cobblestones in the street, and the way in which Remy's hair clumps together when it gets wet. Beautifully done!
On another note concerning Pixar, I have a (conspiracy) theory about them. I think, subconsciously or consciously, they are totally pandering to the current state of U.S. political affairs. Let me explain. The last two movies have been "Cars" and "Ratatoille". "Cars" was released in Summer 2006. Bush was balls-to-the-wall into his second term in office, his approval ratings had not yet plummeted, and the ramping-up of the war effort was in full swing. "Ratatouille" was just released this summer. Bush's approval ratings are dismal, the Democrats control Congress, there is endless banter on how we should withdraw from Iraq, and the country is already gearing up for Election 2008. Do you remember "red states" and "blue states" from the last presidential election? Well, if you didn't realize this before, "Cars" is a "red state movie" and "Ratatouille" is a "blue state movie", and here's examples to back up that statement:
Cars
* The 'Piston Cup' racing circuit is basically NASCAR (what's more redneck than that?)
* Features a character (Mater) voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour (Git 'R Done!)
* Features the catchphrase "Ka-Chaw" - that's more hick than "Shake and Bake" from "Talladega Nights" (also a red state
movie)
* Depicts a dependence/devotion to fossil fuels - I don't seem to remember any of the characters utilizing bio-fuels (How
about "Corny", the ethanol-powered hybrid??)
* The main character, Lightning McQueen, is "red"
* This was the last movie Pixar made before it was bought up by Disney
Ratatouille
* Set in France, perennially criticized and loathed by conservatives ("Freedom Fries" anyone?)
* Features a strong, independent female character (Colette) voiced by Janeane Garfalo, who is despised by the right wing
media
* Makes cracks at American fast food
* A morbidly obese character, Chef Gusteau, dies early in the movie -our liberal media constantly scares the public about the
overweight epidemic.
* Depicts the world of ultra-fine cuisine, enjoyed by culturally-elite liberals
* Features a latently-homosexual food critic, Anton Ego, who utters possibly one of the most sexually-ambiguous lines I've
ever heard in a Disney film - "If I don't like it, I don't swallow it"
* The rats justify their food thievery on the unjust treatment they have been subject to by man (or "The Man") - Does the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina ring a bell?
Now, you would think, as I did, that an animation company based out of San Francisco would be on the extreme Left of the political spectrum. So why would they produce two such movies, in perfect alignment with the political and cultural zeitgeist of the U.S. at the time of their release? Political favor (especially now in anticipation of a Democrat pres in 2008)? Approval by the mass media (or "Drive-By" media as Rush Limbaugh refers to them)? Bigger box office receipts? Who knows? Think about it, though. It's all too eerily coincidental.
Am I a nut? Yes. But if I didn't point this stuff out to you, who would?
Have a nice day!
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