If you haven't met Keela yet, you need to visit
the Mil Mania
Sign-up page and check out back issues of that publication to read her
"madvice" as offered in the "Molly Madvises" column.
(The review of the film Ratatouille posted
below is linked from the July '07 issue of her column.)
Nothing like the viewpoint of a rat herself for
getting the right perspective on a film or book starring her species!
Enjoy.
NEW!!!
NOTE:
This review was first published
in the January 2009 issue of It's A Rat's World magazine -- and
has now been added here for the benefit of DVD watchers. Also, you
can read Keela's review of the book on which its (thankfully, rather
loosely) based following this entry...
When I heard The Tale of Despereaux
would soon be coming out as a movie a few weeks ago, I pulled out
the (dreaded) book (buried deep under the bedding of my nest) and wrote
a review on it. The reason I did this was to set the record straight
that rats aren’t mean, ugly horrible creatures whose only purpose in
life is to make others suffer and who could never appreciate light or
beauty or kindness or – oh, there goes my fur all standing up on end
again at the very thought of the author’s nonsense. Anyway, sorry about
getting carried away and screeching so fast about all that. Today I’m
supposed to be talking about the film which shares the book’s name –
and, of course, the title character: an exceptionally small mouse with
exceptionally big ears, who’s born without any of the fears
characteristic of his society, and who dreams of becoming an honorable
and courageous knight like the one he reads about in a book he’s
supposed to be eating instead. Thankfully, however, that’s about where
the similarities end. That said, I’ll try to smooth my fur out one more
time and tell you a little bit about this other – and from a rat’s
perspective – much better rodent tale.
At first, though, I have to admit I wasn’t so sure I’d be able to
say that. While the opening scene, which takes place on a ship,
promised the rat-dapters had changed the story a great deal, part of the
scene features narration that says, “Rats are incapable of telling the
truth.” Oh! As it turned out, this was pretty easy to forgive when the
next several minutes of the action introduce us to the rat, Roscuro
(dressed in the cutest little pirate outfit!) and not only make the
audience really like him, but also feel for the terrible predicament in
which he finds himself – and spend the whole time on the edge of their
seats hoping he gets out of it!
It’s only after Roscuro is firmly established as a beloved main
character of his own (and one whose trouble springs from nothing more
than becoming a wee bit too excited about food – and, oh boy, is that
something I can relate to!) that we meet the little mouse, Despereaux –
who, as the best part of the book, is even more adorable when brought to
life on screen. Here, however, the extent of his different-ness from
the other mice is illust-rat-ed in greater detail, and unlike in the
book, his parents (and even his brother Furlough) are genuinely caring
about him from the start. It’s also particularly wonderful to see him
actually reading the book he’s been left in the library to eat (he runs
up and down the hills and valleys along the lines of printing, savoring
each word), and to watch (when charged with the unenviable task of
helping Despereaux act more like a mouse) how utterly futile are poor
Furlough’s efforts to teach him to be afraid.
Despereaux, as it turns out, has much to teach the mouse society –
and some other species, too – but because (as the film points out) a
hero only appears when a need for him arises, circumstances in the
kingdom are pretty dire when he shows up. But, Despereaux, immersed in
his own world of chivalrous adventures and a love of everything around
him, barely notices the pervasive gloom – until, enchanted by the beauty
of a princess and a piece of the book he’s been reading suddenly come to
life in the form of her friendship, things at last grow pretty dark for
Despereaux himself.
That’s where we meet Roscuro once again – and where the movie
deviates tremendously once more from the book. While I don’t want to
give away too much before you see it for yourself – and see it you
should – I’ll just say it’s out of this darkness that begins a common
journey back to the light, not only for Despereaux and Roscuro, but the
entire kingdom of Dor. It must be added that it’s a rather strange
journey in many ways, featuring one particularly strange character who
isn’t even mentioned in the book, and a very different role for another
– and a somewhat different ending for all.
The Tale of Despereaux
doesn’t compare with Ratatouille, in my opinion (not that any
other movie I’ve seen comes close), nor does it feature quite that level
of rat-istry – I mean, artistry in its creation. If you’ve got a
rodent tail dear to your heart, however, I’d say it’s nonetheless well
worth the trip to the theater – and I expect that even though I’ve
already seen it myself, I’ll be scampering out for a copy when it comes
out on DVD.
Well, I could say more, but I think I smell…mmm – soup! Enjoy the
movie. Gotta run!
KEELA
(original book version)
I
actually first read this book a very long time ago – which probably makes you
wonder why I didn’t review it way back then. Well, to tell you the truth, I
didn’t really want to talk about it.
All this time later, however, someone has made a movie out of it…and that
means lots of hu-men and hu-women will be talking about it soon. So, at last, I
think I have no choice but to offer a real rat’s point of view about a work that
is unmistakably fiction.
Based on that introduction, you’re probably thinking that if I had to give
The Tale of Despereaux a rating it would surely be two paws down. But,
to tell you the truth, it would really be more like one paw way down, and
another way up in the air.
You see, there are a lot of things I like a whole lot about this story –
such as its ratcognition “that an interesting fate…awaits almost everyone, mouse
or man, who does not conform.” Even more, I like that its main character has a
great appreciation for literature (like me!), and that he learns from just one
experience how wonderful interaction with hu-people can be. And, I don’t even
really mind that this main character’s a mouse (especially since he really is an
incredibly charming one). What I do mind, however, is that throughout the
entire book, rats are said to be evil and ugly and hideous and that our
tails are “scaly and cold” – like “a small, narrow snake”! Can you imagine?
Oh! I was so hor-rat-fied when I read those words I almost shut the book and
took a big bite out of it right there. The problem is, just when that paragraph
pops up, Despereaux is in a real predicament – and, as that mouse hero himself
points out, if one eats the pages it “ruins the story”. So, I just took a
minute to try and smooth out my fur that was standing up all over, and then went
back to try and finish my reading.
That said, I suppose I should tell all of you a little bit about
this story, shouldn’t I? Well, it starts out with the birth of an exceptionally
tiny mouse who isn’t at all like the other mice in his society. These do, in
fact, eat books, but he refuses because he wants to read them instead. And,
wouldn’t you know the first book he reads is about a knight who rescues a
princess living in a big castle – just like the castle Despereaux lives in
himself! As usual in my reviews, I don’t want to ruin the story for you by
feeding big bites of it to you here, so let it suffice to say, this whole
circumstance of being different, and reading and living with (and not just
living with, but falling in love with) a princess gets Despereaux into a
whole lot of trouble. There’s also a rat named Roscuro, who, like Despereaux,
isn’t quite the same as the rest of his kind, and who, like Despereaux, has a
special appreciation for the “light” of the human world rather than the dark
shadows of rodent existence. When this lands him (quite literally) in the soup,
and a tragedy unexpectedly results, he ends up in a whole lot of trouble, too –
not to mention causing trouble for the entire kingdom when not only are rats
suddenly outlawed, but the wonderful, comforting, delicious treat of soup is
outlawed as well.
I suppose that all sounds harmless enough as a plot outline, but what’s
really wrong with the book is that the writer has clearly never met any actual
rats – or apparently, mice for that matter, because she actually thinks that for
these creatures to embrace the darkness is to be true to their real natures. In
other words, to her it’s Despereaux and Roscuro who are the exceptions. Still,
she’ll give the benefit of the doubt that maybe a mouse could possibly be
comfortable living in a world of beauty and light, but even after acknowledging
that just maybe a rat could want these things, too, she never allows him to
fully belong where they reside.
Of course, I know the truth is it’s the evil rats living in the
castle’s dungeon who are the exceptions to what rats are like in real
life
(which is also true of mice, at least in my experience.) But, that doesn’t seem
to have stopped this author from spewing all this (wrong) information (with her
facts all upside down) as if she’s some kind of expert. Why, one could fill
a book with all the things she doesn’t know. Come to think of it, that’s
exactly what she’s done! What’s worse, this book won the very prestigious
Newberry Medal, which means she’s even been rewarded for her ignorance.
Oh, how my fur starts standing up on end again when I think about the injustice
of it all… Well, now I guess you see why I didn’t want to talk about it.
Anyway, like I said, now there’s a movie based on this ratdiculous
book. So, I may just have to find a way to go see it in the hope someone with a
little more knowledge about rats and mice got involved and fixed some of these
problems in ratdapting it for the big screen. If not, you can probably imagine
the comments and mistaken ideas soon to be spreading around as fast as people
think we spread the Plague. With that in mind, I thought I’d better
squeak a little bit in advance so at least anyone who reads this might help me
set the record straight. And, of course, I’ll be back next month for my
comparative review.
By the way – a funny little side note to this…a cousin of mine was actually
named Despereaux after this little mouse because he was so small as a
baby. But, when he grew up he turned out to be the biggest rat anyone I know
has ever met! Maybe he read this story, too, and ate everything in sight just
to outgrow the name – or maybe it just made him so angry that he started taking
bites himself…and ended up eating the whole book!
In conclusion, then, happy reading – or, happy eating, if you
prefer!
KEELA
Like I said in my review of this book’s sequel (The Revenge of
Randal Reese Rat) A Rat’s Tale by Tor Seidler is probably my
very fav-o-rat book of all time…well, at least of all the rat books I’ve
read to date. I’m always open to scampering across new ones, however,
so please feel free to e-mail me (by way of my adoptive mom,
mil@artistinsane.com) with any and all suggestions.
Back to this Tale, though, its main character is the
sweet-tempered, very shy Montague Mad-Rat – who just happens to also be
an incredibly talented painter (of not canvases, but shells brought back
to him by his aunt from beaches all over the world). What’s more, all
the members of his family are also artists, in one form or another –
which is where they get their last name. Each is passion-fruit-edly…oops,
I mean passion-ate-ly pursuing what it is he or she is “mad for.”
Unfortunately, not everyone outside the family is quite as mad for
their creations, their way of life – or their name. Poor Montague,
however, doesn’t know about all this when he first encounters a lovely
she-rat named Isabel on a particularly stormy New York City day.
Neither does he know Isabel’s father is the leader of the privileged
wharf rats, well-groomed creatures who spend their days seeking out
coins with which to pay their annual “Rat Rent,” rather than creeping
through Central Park in search of feathers and berries to make brightly
colored creations the Mad-Rats view as truer riches.
Isabel finds Montague unusual and charming, but it’s Montague who’s
so enchanted he sets out to see her again, a quest that inadvertently
lands him at a Grand Rat Chat – a meeting of the entire wharf rat
community, called by Isabel’s father to discuss a threat sure to prove
dire without immediate rattention. Also at this event, Montague learns
at last why the young wharf rats he’s happened upon in the park laugh
when he introduces himself. And, it’s this discovery that starts him on
a rodent-wheel journey of highs and lows as he gradually comes to learn
more about Isabel, his family – and himself.
Thankfully, the uppity wharf rat community learns a bit, too – like
the reason “art and rat are made up of the same letters” -- when it’s
the things made with the Mad-Rats’ paws that prove unexpectedly valuable
to them. Appropriately, it’s Isabel who begins this particular
wheel turning, spurred on by the inescapable beauty of Monty’s shells.
And, it’s this willingness on her part to bridge these different rat
worlds that helps hers see how worthy of it Montague’s family is…and
proves to the rat artists that Isabel might just be “mad” enough herself
to be worthy of theirs as well
As always in my reviews, I don’t want to give too much away so have
kept the details vague. But, I will tell you that even without more
than a couple mentions of cheese – and oh yes, one reference to ham
(which doesn’t appeal all that much to me, since I’m a veg-rat-arian) –
this book provides a full platter of characters (both savory and not so)
to satisfy every taste. And, even after several helpings – I mean
readings – I still find every morsel of it (including the be-utiful
drawings by Fred Marcellino) positively delicious!
All of that said, though, I have to admit that having come to love
these characters so much and having found their adventures so
intriguing, I am left more than a little hungry – for more Mad-Rat books
by this author! I therefore plan to write him very soon to request that
he get on with cooking up another!
In the meantime, by all means head to your local library or
cookstore – I mean bookstore for this one. As for me, I’m
heading to the kitchen for some brain food to help me start my letter to
Mr. Seidler.
Happy
reading!
KEELA
Extra!!!
While
this page is primarily for my reviews of books and films, I believe it's
also an appropriate place to share a letter I wrote in response to a TV
show -- a letter to David Letterman, who is clearly not a fan of rats.
Well, click here to read my attempt
at turning him around on that misguided point.
KEELA
Since this is a sequel to another fantastic rodent story (entitled A Rat's
Tale, , which stars the gifted shell painter, Montague Mad-Rat) I realize I
should probably review that book first. However, because it's this later
one that introduced me to the delicious dish ratatouille -- after which
my favorite movie (reviewed below) is named -- I thought it might make sense to
follow-up my comments on that film by working backwards. After all, you already
know how carried away I can get when it comes to the topic of food! Be that as
it may, I will try to publish a review of A Rat's Tale, too, in the near
future.
I should also mention up front that I think the
original is among the most perfectly penned masterpieces of rat fiction I've
scampered across to date (despite the fact it, sadly, doesn't contain many tasty
treats). And, while this sequel may not quite live up to that kind of
praise, there's much to savor about it nonetheless -- and I do! Not
only does it re-acquaint us with several beloved characters, it offers a whole
new perspective on one I didn't love so much the first time around...and didn't
love all that much at times in this one. But, in fairness I have to admit
not everybody matures at the same rate...and the road to growing up and finding
one's place in a pretty big world can sometimes be a rocky and confusing
one.
Of course, when one comes from the world of New York
City's privileged wharf rats, there's no preparation for how to deal with the
roadblock of a lowly sewer rat (one who -- horror of all horrors, makes
things with his paws, no less) suddenly being heralded as a hero by his own
high rat society...and worse yet, finding his lovely she-rat fiancée
instead marrying this "upstart". Faced with such
unprecedented humiliation, it's not hard to imagine the title character, Randal
Reese-Rat, might well wish for ratribution. The elaborate images of this
he envisions, however, do at first shock the reader...but I have to admit amuse
as well, since it becomes obvious early on that Randal is really far more a mere
brat than a true bully or "bad guy".
But Randal's only half the story here since this volume
also introduces a new character -- an exotic she-rat musician from Africa
named Maggie. Maggie is the cousin of the aforementioned
"upstart" (daughter to his globetratting Aunt Elizabeth) who brings
her to New York for the sole purpose of attending his (and Randal's ex-fiancée's)
wedding. What's more, Maggie is so charming and the music she creates so
beautiful, her performance at the reception actually makes the guests in
attendance stop eating to share in its joy. Of course, one witness
to this who remains less than joyful is Randal. And, since he wants
nothing to do with any rat of such hated associations, it proves a challenge to
his sensibilities when he learns he and Maggie in fact have a lot in
common. Eventually, though, he's forced to admit she's awakened a new rat
within -- one who shares very little with the egotistical creature he'd always
been. In the process (one aided by other dismaying circumstances I won't
give away here) he comes to learn about a lot of uncharted territory to be
explored -- both beyond the shores of the community he thought he knew...and
within the borders of his very own he-art.
Highly ratcommended reading. Enjoy!
KEELA
First I have to answer the question you're probably asking with regard to how I
could already have a review of this film when it’s not even close to coming
out on DVD…given rats aren’t allowed in movie theaters (except the animated
ones on the screen in this instance, of course!).
Well, all I can say to that is mom has a really nice knapsack-like purse
big enough for me to hide in (and with lots of little openings for air).
Now, I’m not saying she put me in there and took me to the movie
theater or anything like that. I’m
just saying she has a beautifully roomy potential pet carrier and here’s my
review of this recently opened film. You
can draw your own conclusions about the rest…
I’m sure it goes without saying that a movie starring rats and with a title
that’s a food starts off with a pretty strongly positive impression for me –
and pretty high expectations to live up to.
And, oh boy, does it! In
fact, there’s so much to be passion-fruit about I don’t know which ratspect
of it to bite off first. I
guess I should start at the beginning which is pretty exciting but kind of scary
since we see Remy breaking out of a window with a book over his head.
Although it’s obvious he’s got himself into something of an
Elvis we have to wait for the story to back up a bit to see how that came
about. And, when we do we learn that
while Remy is a rat (which he explains “means life is hard”) he’s also a
misfit in his family because he longs to not only eat tastier treats than are
usually available to his species, but he actually wants to create
them in the first place.
It’s already been established in Mom’s review
of the book A Rat’s Tale that “rat
and art are made up of the same letters”.
And so, Remy is not just a “rat” but a great “art”ist when it
comes to food (hmm…I just noticed the word “eat” is in the middle of
“create”. See, there is
something to my being passion-ate or
passion-fruit about things going
straight to the truth of how passion and hunger really do go together!)
But, I digress. While
I don’t want to give up too much of what happens so will keep this review
short, the point of the film is that it seems Remy’s dreams of becoming a
great chef are impossible. Rats are
even less welcome in kitchens than they are in movie theaters.
And, if Remy isn’t welcome in a kitchen, how on earth is he supposed to
use one to “create” good things to “eat”.
Well, that’s where faith and determination come in, in this case
inspired by
Paris’ most inspired restau…rat…eur, August Gusteau.
And, when fate unexpectedly places Remy in the heart of
Paris
right under Gusteau’s
restaurant
he begins to face his greatest challenges – and catch sight of his greatest
dreams.
Along the way, he learns (as do others who
weren’t always convinced) that “not everyone can be a great artist, but a
great artist can come from anywhere”, and that nothing is impossible if one is
brave and follows his heart.
Maybe you remember that in one of my columns I
was asked about one's he-art vs. he-ad
with the he-ad meaning “ego”. Well,
can you believe, this film actually has a character named
Ego who proves one of the most fearful threats against Remy’s he-art?!?
Oh, I just can’t say enough times how this movie simply has everything
a rat – and, from my mom and dad’s viewpoints a hu-man and hu-woman, too –
could possibly want in a movie. It’s
definitely my new favorite – and boy does its title make me hungry!
That said, I’ve gotta go….Mom’s supposed
to help me pick out a recipe for ratatouille on the internet so we can try it
out together. While we’re doing
that, I suggest you go see the film Ratatouille
and have the most fun anyone possibly can… without actually eating something that looks and sounds sooooo good.
KEELA
11/07
P.S.
Ratatouille is now available on DVD!!! Go rent -- or
better yet buy it
NOW.
