Anyone Can Cook!

Guess what ya'll? I got a new job at Ye Olde Local Public Library. As a result I get free movie rentals with no late fees! It's really boosted my Pixar watching substantially. It's also made my life a daily celebration because I love books!

Anywho....

I am 99% certain that Ratatouille was made with the sole intention of showing off. There are sequences in there that are so technically complicated I feel like the only reason they were created was to brag. Don't get me wrong, Ratatouille is fantastic, but it is very braggy.




Things I like about this movie:

• A muted color palette. I'm always a fan of a limited use of color. And in this movie it works especially well to accentuate the vibrancy of food (or, the joys of our individual passions and aspirations, as symbolized by the food).
• Synesthetic rats. I'm not sure of synesthetic is the correct form of the word synesthesia (my computer is indicating to me that it's not even a word) but I'm talking about Remi's on screen description of what food tastes like. Let's face it, it's not quite possible to accurately depict what food tastes like without stuffing it in your face and digesting it, so the implementation of sounds and colors to describe flavors is pretty creative stuff. Kudos Pixar.
• "Anyone can cook." I love this saying. It's obviously applicable to more than just cooking and I follow this basic philosophy all the time with my pursuits in art. I'm a pretty big advocate of the concept that "anyone can draw." All it takes is the desire to do so. I get crazy peeved when I tell people I'm an illustration student and their response is "That's so cool! I can't even draw stick figures!" Or even worse: "I wish I could draw!" First off, yes, it is crazy cool that I'm an illustration major because I love what I'm studying. Secondly, don't write off stick figures as the lowest form of  drawing there is, because it isn't. I start all of my figure drawings with a stick figure and we go over them a lot in my figure drawing classes. And finally, YOU AREN'T DEAD! You can learn how to draw! It's not some magical ability that has only been endowed upon the select few and all you other losers have to suck it. Drawing is a motor skill, just like writing. If you can learn to write you can learn to draw. The big distinction is WANTING to learn how to draw. Please stop telling me "I wish I could draw" and start making honest statements about how you aren't interested in investing the time it would take to learn a craft. There's no shame in that. Not all things have to appeal to all people. I hate math. I've never been interested in investing the time to become proficient in the field of algebra. You don't hear me whining about it or saying ridiculous things like "I wish I knew advanced calculus!" Gross. The very idea!

This leads into the idea of "a good cook can come from anywhere." Once again I'll be applying this to the art world. I know a lot of people who have the mistaken notion that in order to produce good art you must go to school at a certain university, you must have a cintq (although no lies, if someone gave me one of those I would not snub my nose at it), or the finest papers and pencils. This is a silly pack of lies my friends. It does not take the finest education or the most expensive supplies to create something of worth. It takes patience and determination to see something done right. I create my best work using a Bic mechanical pencil and I only own four paint brushes for acrylic painting. I won't go so far as to say my art work is the best out there but I'd say I do pretty well for myself with what I have. And whatever your interests and passions are the same can apply to you.

Now that we're feeling all warm and sappy here are the things I don't like about this movie:

• The short film "Your Friend the Rat." This is my only real issue with this movie and it's not even a real issue. I only have a complaint about it because currently there is a mouse that has decided to take up residence in my apartment. And hearing "interesting" facts about how high rats can jump and how their teeth are strong enough to gnaw through steel does not help me sleep at night. Granted, I know that I am cohabiting with a mouse and not a rat, they still come from the same rodent family and therefore have similar abilities. Stupid creepy little buggers with their nasty diseases and icky little tails.

So I was going to try to fit the other three Pixar movies I've watched recently into this post but seeing as how those three are Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3 I will forego making this post any longer than it already is.

Until next time.