THE GENRE’S CONVENTIONS

Elements of the genre

Style

Design

Sources

Elements of the genre

Strong title. Ebert identifies the film and grabs attention with the headline “Waiter, there’s a Rat in my Soup.”

Juicy lead paragraph. Ebert piques interest with an introduction to the protagonist, Remy, who is a “gifted rodent” who “has conquered the summit of French cuisine.”

Discussion of genre. Ebert identifies Ratatouille as an animated film and connects it with related films, such as The Incredibles.

Summary of narrative. In the body of the review, Ebert relates the basics of the plot and Remy’s escapades—without spoiling the ending.

Evaluation of filmmakers and actors. Ebert names the director and producer and gives his opinion of their work on the film: “[T]hey have taken over the leadership in the animation field right now.”

Overall critique of the film. In the opening, body, and closing of his review, Ebert gives a clear thumbs-up. In his final paragraph, he states, “This is clearly one of the best of the year’s films.”

Style

Quotes. Ebert supports his argument with quotes from the film’s dialogue, such as “I would do anything for you, monsieur. . . .” and “Eat your garbage!”

Detail. Ebert supports his case with specifics. For example, he argues for the film’s “triumph of animation” by describing Remy’s “so expressive” body language.

Voice, tone, and word choice. Ebert writes with authority and a pleasant, humorous tone. For an example, see his description of Remy in paragraph 5. The words he chooses—including triumph, astonish, and lovable—reflect his positive opinion of the film.

Design

The review looks like any other journalistic work and includes an author byline. It features a star rating system (Ebert gives the movie four out of four stars) and includes a still from the movie. It ends with a cast and credit list, and info about the film.

Sources

Ebert’s main source for this review of Ratatouille is the film itself. He also draws on his existing knowledge of animated films, the director, and France (he refers to de Gaulle, the Seine, and Victor Hugo).