P Friendships: Remy and Luigi

First thoughts right after watching the Movie

My first thoughts right after watching the movie is that it’s sweet how they are a lot alike, though have their differences. Most people would make them actively talk to one another, but we are given a realistic approach in Ratatouille, which I appreciate. Not the most interesting, but it is the backbone to the film, as it would have failed without it. It is hard to define what they are, since there is no owner/pet dynamic, and they are not really friends; at least in the traditional sense.

Summary

Remy sees Linguini cooking, and smells how horrible it is, so when he is not looking, the rat fixes the soup. Of course when this is happening, Linguini is shocked and frozen, only for him to cover the rat, and when it ends up being brought to a customer, it tastes good. The soup was given to an impressed food critic, where Linguini is told that he will have to make the food again. While this is happening, Remy tries to escape, but Linguini captures him, and is told to kill him outside. The weird man rides them near a bridge for some reason to talk the rat into helping him make the soup again for him. We learn that Linguini has lost way too many jobs, only to see him nod, which he verifies again. Remy is let out of the jar, and he BOLTS away, only to see how sad Linguini is, and runs back before Linguini rides off on his bike.

Linguini wakes up the next morning to realize that Remy is making them eggs, but then rush to work. Remy clings all over Linguini ‘s body on his first day as a chef, and that clearly does not work. When the main chef enters the walk-in fridge, he is put in the hat, and somehow uses Linguini ‘s hair to cause him to walk off. We get a narration about how the both of them thought of the same idea, which leads to our montage scene.

I am going to try and avoid covering the entire plot of the film for this one, since this is the backbone of it. Luigi is blindfolded while Remy pulls his hair to train him into how to cook, and how to go with the motion. We see how awkward and similarly minded they are. We see how it is translated into work, and they are able to successfully recreate the soup. Things start to go well, and it involves Linguini getting promoted to be one of the top chefs in the restaurant.

Of course when things start to go right, they start to go wrong. The first instance of this is when Remy’s gluttonous and lazy brother shows up at the restaurant, and he gives his brother food, which becomes a repeated occurrence. After reuniting with his family, his father shows him what humans really do to rats, but it is still not enough for Remy to sacrifice everything he has established with Luigi. He returns to the restaurant to see a passed out Linguini (who cleaned the entire restaurant by himself), and he is somehow able to control Linguini’s asleep and comatose body, so he will look awake. Linguini only wakes up due to Colette slapping him, and to make it up to her, he wants to tell her about Remy. Of course, he does not like this, so to stop Linguini, he forces them to kiss. So one of the main reasons for their fallout involves the biggest cliche; a girl.

I hate it when two male characters fall out because of a girl, but at least they do it in a different manner in this film. Remy soon finds out that Linguini is Gusteau’s biological son, so he becomes the rightful owner of the restaurant. In a press meeting, Linguini is loving the attention, and grows a bit of an ego. When he claims that Colette is his inspiration, Remy is infuriated. It is not like he could say a rat is his inspiration.

Linguini is mad because he is a distraction, and is tired of being a puppet, claiming that Colette is another inspiration, and Linguini’s opinion should matter.  After being put outside to be given a break, Remy selfishly tells his entire rat clan to enter the fridge to eat all of the food. Linguini returns to the restaurant to apologize to him, as he is aware of how it is different for him to have any expectations, attention, and that there is a lot of pressure on him. He claims Remy is a good friend, but obviously his idiotic brother has to ruin their cover, and all of the rats are discovered. Linguini kicks the rats out, and yells at him for ruining his trust, and that he is done with him. The typical stuff. I never realized until now how predictable their interactions are. They aren’t really friends (since there is the barrier there), but at the same time, it is not like Linguini owns Remy as a pet. I would be lying at times if I said the “checkbook” formula that is for the plot doesn’t distract me from fully investing in their interactions. I do feel bad when they both are sad, but everything about their interactions are about “convenience” more than anything else.

Remy has to be talked by his conscience to go back, while Linguini struggles with his staff and to prepare food for Ego. They of course make up (right as the chefs are about to kill him), and Linguini explains everything that has been happening. Everyone gives up (though Colette does come back), and Linguini thanks him for coming back to help him anyways. I will say that both of them represent the “odd ones” of their species and the environment around them, which is tied to the “Anyone can cook” motto throughout the entire film.

Despite the brilliant review, the restaurant is shut down due to the rat infestation, but Ego formed a small cafe, where Linguini, Colette and Remy work at. It is clear that the both of them live with their perspective species, though are interlinked, since there are two restaurants in one; which are uniquely divided. I will say that there is a sense of care for one another, but we see in a montage scene between the epilogue is that they ARE separated. There is respect, but not much of a relationship, since the convenience for both of them is not there.

Final Thoughts

I came into this thinking their relationship was very conventional and predictable, but it is not as conventional than I was expecting. There is a lot of respect between the two, but a lack of friendship. Maybe it’s the language barrier, but they will always be divided by their worlds/species, and their interactions had much to do with convenience than anything else.

We are heading back to couples for the month of March.

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