A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
Plot of The Menu, Courtesy IMDB
If you haven’t seen the movie The Menu (Wikipedia, IMDB), a movie about food, a restaurant, and so much more, ask yourself, “Why not?” If you have seen The Menu, “Whaaaaaaat?” I had the same reaction to this movie as I did when I walked out of the theater after having seen Get Out (Wikipedia, IMDB). I was flabbergasted by Get Out and now it is one of my all-time favorite movies. I have only seen The Menu once, but it also left me flabbergasted. It is a hell of a movie that I would recommend to anyone, especially anyone interested in food, restaurants, or amazing psychological thrillers.
The Menu is rated ‘R’ and, yet, after seeing it, I immediately thought of another favorite movie of mine: the G-Rated Ratatouille (Wikipedia, IMDB). Even if you haven’t seen either movie, you probably realize how truly bizarre this comparison is. However, once you see both movies, you will realize the comparison isn’t as crazy as you might have originally thought. And I am not the only one to make that connection:
The Menu and Ratatouille are not the best back-to-back features for a movie night, but the two films actually have more in common than you might initially expect. The former is an eloquent criticism of elitism and class dynamics whereas the latter is… also an eloquent criticism of elitism and class dynamics…the heart of each movie is deeply similar to each other as they both present relatable protagonists, a critique of wealthy entitlement, and a deeply personal affection for food and cuisine.
Are ‘The Menu’ and ‘Ratatouille’ Actually the Same Story? via Collider
Without giving away any spoilers for The Menu, but no promises in regards to Ratatouille, parts of The Menu made me think of one of the best Ratatouille characters: Anton Ego, the food critic central to the story. The scene in Ratatouille when Anton Ego eats the actual ratatouille and is transformed back to his childhood (screen grab above), is very reminiscent of important parts of The Menu. Very simple, but delicious food, has profound effects on characters in both movies, even if the individual dishes are created under very different circumstances for very different people. (Fair warning: You might be craving a cheeseburger after seeing The Menu.) As evidenced by both movies, and the centrality of food to the overall themes/plot, food is a powerful tool that can connect one to so many different things, including transporting one to past memories that have a profound effect on you even in the present.
As I continue to search for my entrepreneurial dream, and continue to watch bizarre/wonderful food based movies, the profession of food critic has been suggested by my wife. Sure, I wouldn’t be as cool as Anton Ego in Ratatouille, or one of the characters in The Menu, but is it a true option? My recent post about l’Albatros potentially reads like a review, but it is mainly focused on the inspiration aspect of the delicious restaurant, not the actual food. (I really should add photos of the food we ate.) Plus, one post doesn’t make me a bonafide food critic, even if I do love to write and do love food. I clearly have thoughts on food, but I am just not sure my palette is refined enough, or if I have enough “clout”, to truly be a food critic. Yes, my palette could evolve over time and I could hopefully build an audience, but who knows?! I am definitely not ignoring the suggestion as it is an intriguing one. At this point, I am not ignoring any suggestion.
As with anything, if I were to become a “food critic”, I would have to put my own unique Shane spin on it. How I would do that, or what the “unique Shane spin” would be, is to be determined. Maybe I focus on restaurants that have certain entrees (i.e. fish and chips)? Or simply a certain style of restaurants? Maybe my wife reviews bakery items and I review meals? Who knows? Many possibilities and options to think about as I continue to navigate what exactly my entrepreneurial dream is.
For now, I will simply continuing blogging and making out of the box comparisons between a psychological thriller about a restaurant and an animated movie about a rat that is a chef…(Ratatouille spoilers in the clip below.)
