Funny man gravitas

The pathos. The nuance. The sheer dramatic tension of the role and the deft way he handled it. The knee-slapping punchline it created. Guess who's being called out in reverential tones here:

"His performance is equal if not greater than Daniel Day-Lewis' in 'There Will Be Blood.' "

No, not George Clooney or Tommy Lee Jones. It's Patton Oswald as a sewer-rat-turned-master-chef in "Ratatouille." The speaker: the always quotable Brad Bird, who won two Annies for directing and screenwriting the family flick about a little French varmint with big culinary skills.

The Pixar/Disney insta-classic gathered nine awards at the Annies, doled out by the International Animated Film Society on Friday night. It bodes well for Oscar, where "Ratatouille" seems to be a lock for best animated feature. "Surf's Up," also an Oscar nominee, snagged two Annies, but "Persepolis" left with zilch.

Check here for the full list of winners, which includes another short, wiry-haired critter. No, not Seth Green. Hey, wait, it is Seth Green.

Comments

[Steve]

I have seen Ratatouille (a lovely but mostly distant experience) needlessly plugged on HR.com since it came out. Now I'm seeing a week-old fluff-view with the rat's voice whose performance doesn't deserve such attention (where were you with Brooks, Hanks, etc. who did) at the time oscar ballots are due. Are you trying to bait voters with some journalistic cheese? If so, don't be so obvious about it, please. Or sell your Disney stock.

[Sanjay]

This picture is very funny but this mouse si very clever .