Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Tout le monde peut cuisiner!



Saw 'Ratatouille' last night in French! The voices are great & help make this 'postcard' version of Paris more authentic-even the on-screen graphics are in French;the hand-written letters, Gusteau's book etc. I assume these scenes were re-rendered for the 'version Francais'?

I still want to see the 'version original' to hear Peter O Toole as the critic.

The camera-work & the animation in the film were the stand-outs for me. As Andrew Stanton said in his Comic-Con speech-Pixar has animators who've been there for 15 years & just get better with each film. I thought this kind of long term nurturing of talent died with the Nine Old Men-they had 40 years to perfect their craft-but it seems Pixar have a similar commitment, let's hope they can keep improving for another 25 years!

I know Linguini's design was based on Lou Romano's appearance somewhat but don't you think Sempé's 'noses' could have been an inspiration too? Linguini could be the adult version of petit Nicolas.



Here 'Lifted' is called simply 'Extra Terrestre' & played well with the audience I was part of. It got big laughs from the younger kids & older adults. When the WALL-E trailer played & the little robot says his name it got a big response from the crowd with the kids copying the voice! Bodes well for next summer. . .

11 comments:

Elliot Cowan said...

Is that Bomb Voyage from The Incredibles in the back there?

I thought Lifted was stink.

I thought Matt Jones is like Jesus in a Santa Suit.

Elliot Cowan said...

Hey pal, you posted it.

Oscar Grillo said...

This is a genuine comment. I am the only person to perceive that these images are EXTRAORDINARILY bland and uninteresting?...I find them very emmasculated and the textures and colours quite poor. I am sure that no long from now they'll be perceived to be as "pasee"
I may be wrong but they do NOTHING for me. Sorry.

Matt Jones said...

Wait until you see the film!

Matthew Cruickshank said...

It's the French Barry Norman!

rose-a-petits-pois said...

Me I can't wait to see that film!

Jeroen said...

Saw Ratatouille yesterday on a preview screening. It's incredible! (pardon the pixar pun) Even if I feel slightly depressed calling myself an animator now, haha.
PS The critic is indeed worth watching it again in English.

Matt Jones said...

Jeroen-doesn't look like we'll get the English version down here-can you tell me if the French text & graphics WERE in English? Also I remember during the opening titles the Disney theme tune is mixed with the French National Anthem-does that happen too?

limbolo said...

If only the cinema's air conditioning worked as well as the plot mechanics I wouldn't have staggered out gasping after half an hour.
It does'nt 'look' quite as dull as these pictures make it seem and it's grossing millions so everything's going according to plan... Posterity isn't being asked to put its monet down yet.

Matt Jones said...

Monet? Is that a French pun?

Anonymous said...

I saw ratatouille too.
Full with good ideas and technically really beautiful :)
I like very much the illustration of Dominique Louis that you've posted.