I didn't like this movie. I LOVED, LOVED, and LOVED it! :D

Wherever you are, do not miss this Pixar's great new animated movie Ratatouille! Run to the nearest movie theater right now (only if the movie is released where you are and the theater is open. ;) )!  This is one of the best movies I've seen for the first time in a long while, and I know you will love it, too!

Ratatouille is the kind of movie that you can tell what would happen next and how it would end.  The plot is simple with a predictable happy ending.  However, Pixar did a fantastic job in depicting the details of the characters, cityscapes, and incidents after incidents.  Every character in the movie is full of life; the sceneries of Paris overlooking from a rooftop and Linguini's apartment are breathtaking; and even when you can tell what is coming next, you never lose your excitement.  

Especially for those who love Paris and cooking, this is definitely a must-see film.  The vividly portrayed neighborhoods of Paris instantly take you to the city and bring back fond memories.  Speaking of memories, Ratatouille very well captures the essence of food as one of the quintessential elements which form memories, so-called nostelgia.  I became particularly sentimental at the scene that the intimidating world-class food critic, Ego had his first bite of ratatouille that Remy cooked.  Although I don't think there can be spoilers for this movie, I will stop getting into too much details to leave the scope for your own appreciation and imagination.

Throughout the movie, I was so happy and all smiley.  And I could sense it was not just me but everyone in the audience.  How many times do you hear people clap at the movies?  Unlike the applause at the end of performances at theaters, clapping at the end of movies is not natrual and thus special.  I was too shy to clap hard like others did as Ratatouille's ending credits appeared on the screen, but I was giving a standing ovation to this movie inside my heart.  Ratatouille is a real 'feel-good' movie that brightens your day and I recommend you not miss watching it at a movie theater!


p.s. Still cuts of Ratatouille are taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382932/

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Commented by Amanda at 2007/07/09 00:03  reply modify/delete Just saw this movie last night and completely loved it, too! :) My sister and brother and I all had to have a snack when we got home, because all that food made us hungry! I think it's my favorite movie that's been released this year. All the food and the scenery and, as you said, it's a 'feel-good' that will brighten your day. I'm going to buy this one on DVD - wouldn't it make a perfect movie to watch with a dinner party? Serving ratatouille, of course. ;) All the cooking just seemed so real! You could almost taste basil and garlic. But even the scenes showing Remy climbing in the gutter were amazing and creative as far as animation goes, and overall, I was just really impressed. It reminded me, in some ways, of Disney's Beauty and the Beast - that's the only other animated movie I can think of that comes close to this. I'm glad you saw and loved this, too! Thanks for posting your thoughts on it. :) Commented by Sorie at 2007/07/16 20:41  reply modify/delete Glad we watched this movie on the same day. :) I agree with you that this movie was my favorite that's been released this year. Last weekend, I went to see Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix and realized that I haven't read the book. I really need to catch up. name    password    homepage secret

Last Saturday, I made an unexpected trip to American Art Museum and ran into a very interesting exhibit: Variations on America: Masterworks From American Art Forum Collections.  Until last Saturday, I had not realized that American Art Museum shares the same building with the National Portrait Gallery.  Because they share the space, it is quite tricky to tell from where to where is one or the other.  Although some well-painted portraits are breathtaking, they are not my favorite.  So whenever I go to this building of the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum, I tend to stay around in the latter.

I may be prejudiced, but when I hear "America," I do not think of "Art."  There are famous American artists such as Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Georgia O'Keeffe, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassat, Edward Hopper, etc.  Of these, especially, Mary Cassat and Edward Hopper are ones of the painters I love very much.  Still, America reminds me of "technology" or "convenience."  Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to say that American art is inferior.  It is just that American art does not really stand out in the western art history.  Well, maybe it is too harsh to even talk about American art that way, considering the short history of the U.S.

For neither do I know much about American art nor I am familiar with American artists, except for a few modern and post-modern artists, it was a pleasant surprise to come across this special exhibit at American Art Museum.  As if I was introduced to new friends, I sauntered around in the gallery, discovering unfamiliar paintings and painters.

Unfortunately, I was not able to see all of the paintings exhibited due to the short of time and so am planning to go back and see the rest before this special exhibit is over.  Although I was in a hurry, I was able to jot down the basic information of paintings I liked a lot, such as the title of paintings and the name of the artists.  So here I would like to introduce you to these artworks.  Hope you like them as I do. :)

Before you look at these paintings, I must warn you that original pieces are twenty times better than these web image files.  Some of these web files completely lost the virtue of the original paintings.  But these are the ones in the highest resolution available online that I could track down.  So you must use your imagination to appreciate these paintings as nearest to the original image.  Click on images for larger views.


John Singer Sargent, Francois Flameng and Paul Helleu


Mary Cassat, Portrait of a Lady (Reading Le Figaro)


Robert Blum, Venetian Bead Stringers


Winslow Homer, Girl In A Hammock


Edward Hopper, House In Italian Quarter


Robert Henri, Far Rockaway


John Sloan, Easter Eve

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Commented by Melodee at 2007/07/03 04:33  reply modify/delete Thanks for sharing these; I really like them. Commented by Sorie at 2007/07/03 13:38  reply modify/delete I hope we can make an excursion to art museums in DC together later this month! Commented by Amanda at 2007/07/07 13:37  reply modify/delete Thanks for posting about your American art experience! :) I'm embarassed to admit this, but I didn't know (or remember, at any rate) that John Singer Sargent was American! And he's one of my favorite artists. I was actually just thinking the other day about "our" Sargent painting (the Loggia one) in that small art gallery in DC. The Winslow Homer one looks cool (literally) - just where I want to be on a hot day like today. :) Commented by Amanda at 2007/07/07 13:38  reply modify/delete ps - I hope you girls can make it to an art museum together, too!! Commented by Sorie at 2007/07/08 17:33  reply modify/delete You would have liked this exhibit, Amanda. Only if you were here. :) name    password    homepage secret

Well, this place has been both literally and figuratively deserted. It surely takes a lot of efforts to run two websites in two languages and I again became very slack in English blogging. A regular number of people have been visiting through some movie-related keywords, though. But neither regular visitors nor online acquaintances.

Slowly, I am planning to brush up and maintain this blog in English. So if you are one of the regular visitors, come out of the closet and befriend with me. :)

My life is pretty monotonous these days. I am picking up on French and reading "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah.

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Commented by Amanda at 2007/06/30 01:59  reply modify/delete Hooray! Glad you're back to English blogging. :) Have a good weekend. Commented by Melodee at 2007/06/30 13:48  reply modify/delete Glad you're back. :) Commented by Sorie at 2007/07/02 22:36  reply modify/delete Hey, ladies. Thanks for welcoming. :) name    password    homepage secret