Jamie Oliver vs. Thomas Keller

It has now been announced that Jamie Oliver is the chef who will be the star-turn in the British edition of Ratatouille. In the American version, Thomas Keller voices an unassuming diner and he only has a couple of lines. I had assumed the secret British chef would do a voice-over for the same role. I was wrong, Jamie is doing the voice of the health-inspector, a pretty significant figure.

Keller is a world renowned chef cooking some of the best food available. Despite his burgeoning empire, Keller is not a populist figure, he doesn't do TV shows and he isn't shouty for the sake of the camera. Jamie Oliver is in many ways the diametric opposite. Unlike quite a few others, I admire him for what he's done but he has made his name because of the camera, rather than his food, although at last I've heard some decent comments about his restaurant, Fifteen. The only reason I can see for giving Oliver such a high profile is to sell cinema tickets, which is a shame. Ratatouille deserves to do well, not because a gobby brand is acting in it, but on its own merits. I fear that at some stage someone in Pixar's UK marketing department got scared that a film about a rat in a posh Parisian kitchen would not have mass appeal unless a famous name was attached to it. It's a sad indictment on our attitudes to food and celebrity.

That having been said, I think Jamie is a bigger risk than he might initially appear. Don't forget the recent (unfair) backlash to his school lunch campaign. I imagine those parents who are annoyed turkey twizzlers are off the menu, might also be the same people who are put off by hoity toity food and French accents.

Comments

[sam]

I guess you didn't read my review of fifteen, then?!

I happen to like Jamie too. And I like Ratatouille - so are you saying it is not yet out in Britain? It's a great movie except for the American Faux french accents. Zay shewd av used ze real French actors coz zair axesonts are ze cueteest.

[Silverbrow]

Sam, you've caught me out. I hadn't read your post, although have now. Your experience is pretty close to those I'd heard generally about the Fifteen in London, although recently there have been some positive noises.

As for Ratatouille, it's only just come out here, it went on general release on Friday.

Now we're going to have mockney doing French, rather than Americans doing French.

[Chris]

Some fair points Mr. Silverbrow but I think most of your fears are unfounded. The Health Inspector isn't actually that much of a major part - 10 lines at most from memory? - and I think although the movie is set in Paris the different accents kind of added an interesting international feel.

Also I won't hear a word against Jamie Oliver - his restaurant may be rubbish but his recipes are great fun. We did his home wood-smoked salmon the other night it was wonderful (although the house still smells of smoke!)

Chris

[Silverbrow]

Chris, I'm not saying that Jamie undermines the authenticity of the film, rather that it has to be a marketing ploy to get Jamie on board. As I said, I'm generally a supporter of his, he certainly takes a large swathe of the credit for getting me into cooking in a serious way. However, he's nowhere near the calibre of Keller.