and timely, especially in light of the current poll on here on GT*. It is a review by the
food critic Anton Ego, inimitably voiced by Peter O’Toole in the film Ratatouille ,
which I just watched for the first time Saturday night. His typewriter has a
skull face, which is cool.
“In many ways the work of a critic is easy. We risk very
little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves
to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to
read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of
things the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism
designating it so. But there are times when the critic truly risks something; and
that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to
new talent, and new creations. The new needs friends. Last night I experienced
something new: an extraordinary meal from an extra-ordinary source. To say that
both the meal and its maker challenged my preconceptions of our fine cooking is
a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made
no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto, “Anyone can cook!” But
I realize only now do I understand what he truly meant. Not everyone can become
a great artist. But a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to
imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s,
who is in this critic’s opinion nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will
be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.”
Sure, it’s the Disney-fication of critical theory, but not
bad for a cartoon. It’s great poetry that the restaurant closes the next day,
and the critic's reputation is destroyed. He then becomes the backer for a
restaurant, with a rat as chef. But it is all for the love of art.
I related the background of the Smith comments and subsequent
"level of risk" discussion on GT to my wife, Raychael Stine (who paints rats, and made us buy some recently. They're driving the dogs crazy, like having squirrels in the house). She succinctly wrapped it up, by
simply saying that some critics lack courage, and some artists (including well
reviewed, successful ones) lack courage, and that everyone has to beware of
being lazy. Very well put, I think.
*Smith speaks
– 11/16/07
Great snippets from NYT critic Roberta Smith at last night's annual Artlies
lecture: "You have to be willing to be betrayed by your taste." "There
is an unexamined vehemence about blogs. I don't read them." "The act of
criticism is being able to listen to yourself and stop wanting someone
else to help you." Smith also said putting art criticism out there,
judging art publicly, is a risk equal to the risk artists take. Do you
agree? We're taking a poll on the issue…
1 comment
I just saw Ratatouille again, and I think Ego’s a great role model. His best quote in the film is his combative growl: “I don’t LIKE food, I LOVE it!” He’s only vile-tempered and gloomy because he’s been so often disappointed. He’s free of prejudice: one taste of the rat’s superlative cooking immediately reverses all his bad feelings about Gusteau’s restaurant. He never wanted to be negative but, faced with bad food, he had no choice. The rat and his art are Ego’s salvation.